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Maine Alliance for Road Associations

any news from LD 461

  • 11 Oct 2023 11:36 AM
    Message # 13265945

    In the revision to PL 23:3101-3104 stated the below report:

    Sec. 4. Report. The Maine Abandoned and Discontinued Roads Commission, established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 23, section 3036, shall review the use of the following terms in the Maine Revised Statutes: "private way"; "public way"; "private road"; and "public easement." The commission shall determine whether changes to current law would improve understanding and use of these terms throughout the Maine Revised Statutes. By January 5, 2024, the commission shall submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government {SLG} with the results of this study along with recommended legislation. The committee may report out legislation relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.

    As this goes into effect Oct. 25, 2023, and it requests a report for Jan. 5, 2024, I don't think it would give the commission enough time to provide a report. On the other hand, I find it humorous that even the SLG is as confused with the terminology as the rest of the public, particularly those who after buying land/property get confronted with the same confusion. Is there any updates on this?


  • 12 Oct 2023 9:39 AM
    Reply # 13266396 on 13265945
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Good point!  Since the law doesn't go into effect until nearly the end of October, that would not give the Commission much time to work on the terminology.  Fortunately, while the other provisions of L.D. 461 will not go into effect until the effective date, there was nothing prohibiting the Commission from beginning to work on the terminology as soon as they knew about the assignment.  They have formed a subcommittee that has been working on the definitions, and the recommendations of the subcommittee will be reported back to the full Commission next week.  Chances are there will be solutions to some of the confusions, but not all.

    If you want to follow the activities of the Commission, they have both a YouTube channel where the videos of all their meetings are posted, and a brand new website (still under construction) that will have meeting minutes, notices of meetings with agendas, etc.  Here are links:

    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ADRC23

    - Click on the LIVE tab for more videos

    Website - https://www.maine.gov/adrc/ 

    - Unfortunately not all of the links are working yet.  But the fact that they have a website at all is a huge step forward.  They were given no budget to work with, and were prohibited from getting a low cost website due to State security requirements.  But when they tried to get a website through the State system, they were informed it was going to cost $400 a month, which, as the Commission Chair commented, "is a lot of bake sales!"  But after some intensive research, the Commission's paralegal discovered a little-known loop hole for unfunded State Commissions that enables them to get a State website for free!  She is now undergoing training on how to get it fully set up and running.

                            The Maine Alliance for Road Associations


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