Mainebiz

V O L . X X V N O. X I I I J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Harbor and Nova Scotia have been delayed by construction issues. Renovations on the Bar Harbor ferry terminal have run into unexpected complexity with the construction and approval process. Bay Ferries announced in February that is would be returning to Bar Harbor this year, by June 21. Now the earliest date on which any service could begin is mid- summer. Reservations before July 7 have been cancelled and progress will be continually assessed going forward. Bay Ferries will contact customers with reservations to go over options, including travel on MV Fundy Rose between Saint John, New Brunswick, and Digby, Nova Scotia. In January, Bay Ferries CEO Mark MacDonald told Mainebiz that the federal gov- ernment shutdown at that time was hampering Bay Ferries's processing of plans to re-establish ferry ser- vice, which was to run between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. N O T E W O R T H Y M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T The city of Rockland signed a five- year deal with ecomaine to provide a single-sort recycling program that will allow residents to collect paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass bottles and jars and hard plastic containers No. 1-7 in one container, which will be transported to the recycling company for sorting and processing. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that Rockland Marine Corp. was awarded $351,956 to purchase new equipment to boost production, create efficien- cies and become more competitive. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Shipyard Grant Program. Designed to look great on all your devices, our new site helps you get more informed, engaged and connected to Maine business. S E E W H AT ' S N E W AT M A I N E B I Z . B I Z T O D AY ! Our new website is live! Mills' signs $8 billion budget and a host of business-related laws B y m a i n e b i z s t a f f G ov. Janet Mills signed into law the state's $8 billion fis- cal year 2020-21 budget, which expands health care, education funding, workforce development, infrastructure and the environment. Of particular note for businesses would be a $4 million investment in broadband rural development; continuation of ongoing workforce training funding for the Maine Community College System; a property tax relief for small businesses. The budget calls for $7.98 billion from the General Fund over the next two years as well as adding $19.8 million to the Budget Stabilization Fund. The budget includes: Workforce training and higher education $900,000 for adult education, $3 million for adult degree completion and $2 million for early college; A nearly 3.3% increase for higher education and training programs — the Maine Community College System, the University of Maine System and Maine Maritime Academy — to help keep tuition fees down; Allocation of $3 million for the Maine State Grant program. Property tax relief Allocation of an additional $75 million in property tax relief for seniors, families and small businesses; Increase in the Homestead Exemption by $5,000 so Maine residents can exempt $25,000 from their property taxes; Expansion of eligibility for the Property Tax Fairness Credit to include an additional 13,000 home owners; Increase in revenue sharing from 2.5% to 3% next year, and almost 4% the following year. Infrastructure, energy, climate and planning $4 million to fund Department of Economic Development ini- tiatives including broadband and rural development grants. Support of a 10-year plan to triple in-state renewable energy generation sufficient to fully offset energy use in all sectors: electricity, heating, and transportation; A significant investment in the Marine Resources Department. Health care $125 million to be matched with nearly $700 million in federal money for MaineCare Expansion; Public education Raise in the state share of education funding to nearly 51%, including $115 million in new state support for local education. P O L I T I C S & C O. Mayo Regional merger clears Legislature e state Legislature took the next step in greenlighting the merger of Mayo Regional Hospital, in Dover-Foxcroft, and Northern Light Health, Maine's second-largest health care system. e House and Senate approved LD 1708, which revises the state's charter of Hospital Administrative District No. 4, the quasi-governmental agency that owns and operates Mayo. If signed by Gov. Janet Mills, the legislation would make the agency a nonprofit corporation owned by Northern Light, the parent organization of nine hospitals includ- ing Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and Mercy Hospital in Portland. In April, 12 of the 13 towns compris- ing the district voted in favor of joining Northern Light. More than 80% of the total votes cast supported the merger. Like the district, the nonprofit corpora- tion would be governed by a community- based board and would be obligated to continue serving the district's member towns. But while the district has taxing authority, the nonprofit would not, reliev- ing the towns from potential liability for hospital debt. e legislation would also eliminate the last of the state's hospital administrative districts, which were cre- ated in the 1960s to provide health care in under-served rural areas. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Penobscot Community Health Care in Bangor said its Hope House Health and Living Center received a $34,650 donation from Subaru of America and Quirk Subaru as part of the 2018 Subaru Share the Love Campaign. N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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