By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

With a $787 billion stimulus package approved in Congress, state and town officials are discussing the best ways to spend monies received and preparing projects to have “shovel ready” when the funds are distributed.

Department of Administrative and Financial Services Commissioner Ryan Low said on Friday he is “anxiously awaiting” a final figure Maine will receive and has already established mirror accounts for when the stimulus money is distributed. 

“The vast majority of funds will flow through existing programs at the state and municipal levels. A mirror account is exactly the same as the existing program but will keep stimulus money separate from regular funds,” Low said. 

Keeping the funds separate will allow the state to remain accountable for money received and allow officials to track job creation and retention due to stimulus money, Low said. Because the stimulus plan spreads across a 27-month period, he said some programs will see an immediate difference, including recipients of federal Medicaid, while other programs will receive assistance as funds are disbursed.

Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner John Richardson said with funds divided into four general categories, including transportation, infrastructure, services and education, he is remaining “cautiously optimistic” about the help the stimulus package will bring to Mainers. 

“I think there are greater expectations than there should be,” Richardson said. “It’s like every other obstacle. We tend to be masters of our own destiny. Mainers are excellent for doing a lot with very little, and we’ll continue to do a good job for ourselves. Only working together will we achieve a goal. The improvements will provide short and long term results, but it’s important to be sober about the impact of the stimulus on Maine’s economy and not overstate the impact.”

Low and Richardson declined to disclose the amount of funds anticipated by the state, but Kennebunkport Town Manager Larry Mead said the Maine Municipal Association State and Federal Relations Department estimated $138 million for highway and bridge construction. 

With that figure in mind, Mead said there are several improvement projects in Kennebunkport that will be ready before summer and will be candidates to receive stimulus money. 

Currently engineers are surveying the sea walls along Ocean Avenue to determine what sections can be repaired or replaced. Plans to improve waste water treatment are already underway. Improvements to Government Wharf are waiting on permits from the Department of Environmental Protection and an analysis has been completed to repair the Cape Porpoise Pier, Mead said. 

At this point, the wastewater treatment project has the best chance of receiving stimulus funds, he said, while any money for marine infrastructure could potentially go toward the sea wall, Cape Porpoise Pier or Government Wharf projects. 

Kennebunk Town Planner Judy Bernstein said while project priorities are not necessarily in Kennebunk, the town submitted plans for sidewalks and a bike path along Port Road and proposed downtown improvements.

“There’s a number of other projects waiting because of funding,” Bernstein said. 

In Arundel, Selectman Dana Peck said he unaware of any projects in town that are “shovel ready,” and calls to Town Planner Aaron Shields were not returned as of press time.