A Uniform Building & Energy Code that Works for Maine Towns

Support the Majority Report endorsement of LD 2257

LD 2257 would bring many benefits to Maine people, businesses and towns:

• Vital support for revitalizing our downtowns, villages & main streets.
• Uniform, predictable policy reduces costs for business and provides a strong incentive to invest in Maine.
• The energy code will save homeowners real money on energy from year one; $2 million/year in the first year, growing to $20 million/year by 2020.

LD 2257 has been carefully crafted to make code implementation work for towns.

Its approach ensures that the codes are enforced in all towns over 2000 people, through a flexible approach with multiple options for towns:

1. Towns may choose to enforce the codes with code enforcement officers on staff.
2. Towns may contract for enforcement;
3. Towns may also employ joint or regional code inspectors;
4. Or towns may opt not to do inspections at all—in these cases builders will hire an independent, state certified code inspector, at their own expense, who will present the inspection report to the town for use under the existing certificate of occupancy requirement. The potential obligation on towns over 2000 population is extremely minimal.

LD 2257 contains several other features that benefit municipalities.

• Towns under 2000 peopleare completely exempt from any code implementation; that is 367 towns and townships (click here for a list).
• Local code officers will receive free training and certification in the codes, plus code materials.
• Code enforcement is phased-in slowly: By July, 2010 for towns that already have a code enforcement program, and by January, 2012 for towns that don't.
• A uniform statewide code will save towns the expense and hassle of having to update and amend the code each year themselves (estimated at $3000 per adoption or amendment.)