Resolve, to Form a Working Group to Address Vacancies in Municipal Government Management Positions

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1090
H.P. 712 House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
Resolve, to Form a Working Group to Address Vacancies in
Municipal Government Management Positions
(EMERGENCY)
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 14, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
State and Local Government pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ROLLINS of Augusta.

Page 1 - 132LR1082(01)
1Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
2 become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
3Whereas, this resolve directs the Department of Economic and Community
4 Development to convene a working group to study and advise on the challenges faced by
5 municipal governments throughout the State regarding recruiting, retaining and staff
6 development of municipal government management employees; and
7Whereas, the study must be initiated before the 90-day period expires so that the study
8 may be completed and a report submitted in time for consideration during the next
9 legislative session; and
10Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
11 the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
12 immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
13 therefore, be it
14Sec. 1. Working group. Resolved: That the Department of Economic and
15 Community Development shall convene a working group, referred to in this resolve as "the
16 working group," to study and advise on the challenges faced by municipal governments
17 throughout the State regarding recruiting, retaining and staff development of municipal
18 government management employees.
19Sec. 2. Membership; chair; compensation; staff. Resolved: That, within 30
20 days of the effective date of this resolve, the Commissioner of Economic and Community
21 Development, referred to in this resolve as "the commissioner," shall appoint to the
22 working group at least 7 members who have knowledge of and experience in municipal
23 government management. The commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall serve
24 as a member of the working group. The members of the working group shall elect a chair
25 from the working group's membership. Working group members are not eligible for
26 compensation. The Department of Economic and Community Development shall provide
27 administrative support to the working group. The working group is disbanded after
28 completing its duties under section 3.
29Sec. 3. Meetings; duties. Resolved: That the chair shall schedule the first meeting
30 of the working group within 30 days of the date of the final appointment to the working
31 group. The working group shall meet at other times the chair determines necessary to
32 perform and complete the duties of the working group. In its work, the working group shall
33 consider and develop improvements to the strategies included in the "Maine Economic
34 Development Strategy 2020-2029" report in the context of the municipal government
35 management workforce. At a minimum, the working group shall consider:
36 1. The development of relevant municipal government workforce skills;
37 2. Methods to attract and retain a diverse municipal government workforce;
38 3. Ways to provide education in all educational institutions that includes training for
39 municipal government careers and that integrates lifetime learning for the municipal
40 government workforce; and
41 4. The development of incentives to attract people to and support people in municipal
42 government careers.
Page 2 - 132LR1082(01)
1 Upon completion of its work, the working group shall submit its recommendations to
2 the commissioner for review and make any changes to its proposed improvements that the
3 commissioner determines appropriate.
4Sec. 4. Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 3, 2025, the commissioner
5 shall submit a report, including the working group's proposed recommendations and any
6 recommended legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government.
7 The joint standing committee may report out legislation concerning the report to the Second
8 Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.
9Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
10 takes effect when approved.
11SUMMARY
12 This bill directs the Department of Economic and Community Development to convene
13 a working group to study and advise on the challenges faced by municipal governments
14 throughout the State regarding recruiting, retaining and staff development of municipal
15 government management employees. In its work, the working group must consider and
16 develop improvements to the strategies included in the "Maine Economic Development
17 Strategy 2020-2029" report in the context of the municipal government management
18 workforce. Upon completion of its work, the working group must submit its
19 recommendations to the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development for
20 review and make any changes to the working group's proposed improvements that the
21 commissioner determines appropriate. The commissioner must submit the report to the
22 Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government, and the joint standing
23 committee may report out legislation concerning the report to the Second Regular Session
24 of the 132nd Legislature.
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