Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6 12 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 Maine. In January, the DMR also closed the Muscle Ridge Area near South omaston and the Western Penobscot Bay Area, MPBN reported. Closures are triggered when the harvest exceeds target levels, according to the DMR. Combined with the use of limited access areas, where harvesting only occurs one day a week, and rotational closures, which are similar to crop rotations, the DMR's management approach has resulted in a steady increase in landings and value for Maine's scal- lop fi shery. e plan resulted when the fi shery experienced an all-time low in 2005, landing 33,141 pounds of scallop meat from Maine waters val- ued at $272,703. Since then, the com- bination of conservation measures appears to be eff ective, the DMR said. In 2014, 605,224 pounds of meat were landed, at value of $7.7 million. MPBN reports that the DMR is also shutting down the Owls Head area of lower Penobscot Bay and limiting the St. Croix River to one day per week for draggers and one day per week for divers 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 Redzone Wireless LLC, a wireless internet provider in Camden, an- nounced it now offers broadband services specifi cally developed for Maine businesses and the launch of a municipal free public WiFi net- work in Camden. Solarize MidCoast Maine, an initiative of the MidCoast Economic Development District in Damariscotta, announced that Sundog Solar LLC in Searsport was selected as its partner/installer. UMaine names Sodexo as food service vendor e University of Maine System said Sodexo Inc. has been cho- sen to provide food service for its seven campuses. Sodexo, whose North American division is based in Gaithersburg, Md., agreed to UMaine's request to source 20% of its food locally in the fi rst year of its contract. Also as part of its proposal, Sodexo will invest $14 million in campus facilities while keeping costs at or below current levels, according to e Bangor Daily News. UMaine ended a decade-long contract with Aramark last year. Frenchville businesses interested in TIF A proposed tax increment fi nance district proved of interest to own- ers and employees of six diff erent businesses that gathered for a public hearing in Frenchville on Monday, the St. John Valley Times reported. A municipality can designate a TIF district within its borders, and taxes paid on new property valuations in the district can be used for specifi c public and/or private economic development projects. As part of a TIF district, municipalities have the option to refund a portion of property taxes paid on a business' new developments through a credit enhancement agreement. Businesses request the agreements to close a gap in project funding and/or to convince other investors the devel- opment can succeed. Suzie Paradis, Frenchville's director of community and economic development, told the group that a town is limited to cap- turing a maximum of 5% of its total valuation. Frenchville's valuation is approximately $39 million, according to Town Manager Ryan E. Pelletier. "You have nothing to lose," said Danny Pelletier, owner of Edwin G. Pelletier and Sons. "But you need to know where you are going to put the improvements." 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 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a total of $409,863 to Pines Health Services, a nonprofi t medical practice in Caribou that serves various communities in Aroostook County. The University of Maine in Orono received a grant award of $11,902 for food research from the United States Department of Agriculture. This investment, provided through the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, will support a project titled, "Investigating Diversity as a Climate Resilience Strategy for Potato and Grain Systems Using DSSAT and Collaborative Modeling." Freeing the power of you. 207.623.1110 | www.allumbaugh.com Forget multiple insurance brokers, employee wellness programs, benefits, billing, regulatory compliance and COBRA. You simply want to be able to focus on what your business does best. The Allumbaugh Agency is a unique partner with a passion for the innovative looking to provide comprehensive, integrated benefit solutions, freeing the power of you. N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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