News Releases
USM in Final Bond Package
As many of you may know, lawmakers approved a revamped package
of bond issues late Tuesday evening, April 9, endorsing proposals
that total $112.6 million. The package included four items,
two scheduled to go out to statewide referendum in June and
two slated for statewide voting in November.
What you may not know is that one of those four items --a
nearly $35 million package for a range of economic development
initiatives-- includes $9 million for the university's manufacturing
assistance program.
The fact that USM is in one of four approved bond packages
that total nearly $113 million is a significant accomplishment
given that the bond proposals facing legislators totaled $243
million.
BACKGROUND ON THE BOND PACKAGES:
The university manufacturing proposal is included in the
largest single bond, scheduled for a June 2002 vote and designed
to raise just under $35 million for a variety of economic
development initiatives and for biomedical research. Legislators
also wrapped smaller amounts of money into the package for
homeland security and for tourism initiatives.
The second bond on the June ballot is a $28.5 million package
that includes money for school renovations and $7 million
for installation of sprinkler systems in residence halls throughout
the University of Maine System and the Maine Technical College
System. FYI, three of USM's seven residence halls are not
sprinkled.
A third bond issue --a $24.1 million package for environmental
and agricultural initiatives-- is scheduled for a vote in
November. The fourth and final proposal --$25 million for
Corrections-- is scheduled for a November vote, pending a
final legislative review.
REVIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY MANUFACTURING PROGRAM:
The manufacturing program --known as the Advanced Manufacturing
Assistance Initiative-- is a joint USM and University of Maine
program. It will give Maine manufacturers --large and small,
rural and urban, new and well established-- access to highly
trained employees and the latest technologies. More than 70
companies and industry associations were surveyed to make
sure the initiative meets the needs of Maine's statewide business
community.
"This initiative supports, facilitates and actively participates
in making precision manufacturing companies successful," said
Jeff Sutton, president of Maine Machine Products Company of
South Paris. "It gives us flagship credibility and the confidence
to do business at increasingly higher levels."
If passed by voters in June, USM will receive $4 million
of the $9 million, with the remaining $5 million going to
the manufacturing program at the University of Maine. USM’s
$4 million share would fund construction of a 20,000 square
foot addition to the John Mitchell Center on USM’s Gorham
campus, home of USM's School of Applied Science, Engineering
and Technology (ASET). Those state funds also would give USM
the ability to leverage federal and private funds for equipment
and other associated costs.
In endorsing the proposal, Godfrey Wood of the Greater Portland
Chambers of Commerce said, "Maine's dwindling number of manufacturers
need more support in factory design, product design and testing,
and the latest computer-aided manufacturing technologies.
This support is essential if Maine businesses are to retain
and create jobs."
Please call (780-4200) or e-mail (caswell@usm.maine.edu)
with any questions.
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