NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to Title 10, §1043 of the Maine Revised Statutes and 26 USCA §147(f), the Finance Authority of Maine (the “Authority”) will hold a public hearing at 10:30 AM on December 4, 2024, at 5 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine on an application for a Certificate of Approval for issuance of Revenue Obligation Securities to finance the Project described below.

MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF REVENUE OBLIGATION SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED BY
THE AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT: $160,000,000

Prior to issuing a Certificate of Approval, the Authority must make certain findings, including a finding that the Project will not result in substantial detriment to existing industry. Any person or competitor may attend the hearing and will have an opportunity to make a brief statement regarding the Project or the financing. Comments are specifically requested on those criteria set forth in Title 10, §1043(2) of the Maine Revised Statutes, including public benefit and whether the Project could result in a substantial detriment to existing business. Anyone planning to attend the hearing or to make a statement at the hearing is requested to notify the Authority and to send a written summary of the proposed comments by no later than December 1, 2024, to:

The hearing may be continued to a subsequent date and time without further notice other than to those who have entered objections or requests for notification of the hearing.

Notice is hereby given that the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) intends to issue Revenue Obligation Securities (the “Securities”) pursuant to the Finance Authority of Maine Act (Chapter 110 of Title 10 of the Maine Revised Statutes, as amended) and has issued its Certificate of Approval for the Project to be financed with proceeds of the Securities.  Set forth below is a summary of the Certificate including a description of the purpose for which the Securities will be issued, a statement of the maximum principal amount of the Securities and the time within which any proceeding to set aside certain actions of FAME with respect to the Project or the Securities or otherwise obtain relief on grounds of invalidity of such action must be commenced.

PROJECT OWNER AND/OR USER:    Casella Waste Systems, Inc. or its affiliates

PROJECT LOCATIONS:     The Project comprises eleven (11) distinct components, each of which is or has been operated by the Company or its affiliates as an integrated solid waste operation, as follows:

1. Biofuels – Approximately $100,000 stated principal amount for refinancing Project components located at:
   38 Alfred Plourde Parkway, Lewiston, Maine  04240 (Androscoggin County)
2. Casella Organics – Not to exceed $1,500,000 stated principal amount for Project components located at:
   48 Liberty Drive, Suite A, Hermon, Maine  04401 (Penobscot County)
   5 Fundy Road, Falmouth, Maine  04105 (Cumberland County)
   1100 Waterville Road, Unity, Maine  04988 (Waldo County)
   73 Reynolds Road, Unity, Maine  04988 (Waldo County)
3. Casella Recycling – Not to exceed $1,500,000 stated principal amount for Project components located at:
   424 River Road, Lewiston, Maine  04240  (Androscoggin County)
   13 Gibson Road, Scarborough, Maine  04074 (Cumberland County)
4. Casella Eastern Region Office – Not to exceed $250,000 stated principal amount for Project components located at:
   207 Larrabee Road, Westbrook, Maine  04092 (Cumberland County)
   110 Main Street, Suite 1380, Saco, Maine  04072 (York County)
5. Hampden, Maine Landfill – Approximately $7,500,000 stated principal amount for refinancing Project components located at:
   358 Emerson Mill Road, Hampden, Maine  04444 (Penobscot County)
6. Hermon, Maine Collection – Not to exceed $6,500,000 stated principal amount for Project components located at:
   31 Freedom Parkway, Hermon, Maine  04401 (Penobscot County)
   25 Freedom Parkway, Hermon, Maine  04401 (Penobscot County)
   246 Gilman Falls Avenue, Old Town, Maine  04468 (Penobscot County)
7. Houlton, Maine Collection – Not to exceed $2,000,000 stated principal amount of Project components located at:
   9 Florence Avenue, Houlton, Maine  04730 (Aroostook County)
   37 Florence Avenue, Houlton, Maine  04730 (Aroostook County)
8. Juniper Ridge, Maine Landfill – Not to exceed $22,500,000 stated principal amount of Project components located at:
   2828 Bennoch Road, Old Town, Maine  04468 (Penobscot County)
9. Maine Energy – Approximately $4,000,000 stated principal amount for refinancing Project components located at:
   3 Lincoln Street, Biddeford, Maine  04005 (York County)
10. Southern Maine Portland Collection – Not to exceed $11,500,000 stated principal amount of Project components located at:
    66 Andrews Road, Biddeford, Maine  04005 (York County)
    64 Arthur J Reno Sr. Road, West Bath, Maine  04530 (Sagadahoc County)
    299 Walkers Mills Road, Bethel, Maine  04217 (Oxford County)
    30 Elm Street, Mechanic Falls, Maine  04256 (Androscoggin County)
    32A Lewiston Street, Mechanic Falls, Maine  04256 (Androscoggin County)
    87 Pleasant Hill Road, Scarborough, Maine  04074 (Cumberland County)
    594 County Road, Westbrook, Maine  04092 (Cumberland County)
11. Waterville Maine Collection – Not to exceed $5,000,000 stated principal amount of Project components located at:
    73 Main Street, Mars Hill, Maine 04758 (Aroostook County)
    6 Gerald Terrace, Fairfield, Maine  04937 (Somerset County)
    3 Lafleur Road, Waterville, Maine  04901 (Kennebec County)

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:     The Project consists of the (1) refinancing of the currently outstanding $25,000,000 stated principal amount of Finance Authority of Maine Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds (Casella Waste Systems, Inc. Project) Series 2005R-3 (the “Series 2005 Bonds”), which financed certain solid waste disposal facilities, including landfill development costs and construction, disposal equipment and related improvements, Maine Energy Recovery Company capital maintenance, buildings and office improvements, office equipment, vehicles, containers, equipment, land and the costs of issuance of the Series 2005 Bonds; (2) financing of the acquisition, development, construction and/or equipping of facilities used in connection with the disposal, conversion, or reclamation of solid waste, including, without limitation: (A) the acquisition and equipping of new collection vehicles, trucks, trailers, solid waste disposal containers and related equipment, and computers; (B) the acquisition and installation of certain solid waste recycling sorting and processing equipment; (C) the acquisition, construction, improvement and equipping of certain solid waste disposal, collection, transfer, recycling and customer care facilities; (D) the acquisition and development of landfill facilities including (i) landfill cell development and liners to create additional disposal capacity at the Company’s permitted landfill sites, (ii) landfill gas treatment and processing infrastructure, and (iii) other related costs including paving, grading and other infrastructure improvements; and (E) additional capital expenditures for the development, design, engineering, replacements, demolition, construction, and renovation that were, or will be, undertaken or incurred to accomplish the foregoing; and (3) the funding of the costs of issuance and other common costs of the Series 2024 Revenue Obligation Securities.

All such Project components were or are located or are to be located at and operated from and at one or more of the Project locations identified above.  The Project shall also include any installation, development, design, engineering, replacements, demolition, improvements, equipment, construction, renovation, structures, permitting and capital expenditures that were, or will be, undertaken or incurred to accomplish the foregoing.

MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF REVENUE OBLIGATION SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED BY FAME TO PROVIDE FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT: $45,000,000

Any action or proceeding in any court to contest the issuance of the Securities, to set aside the Certificate of Approval for the Project or to obtain relief upon the grounds that the Certificate of Approval was improperly issued, was issued for unauthorized purposes or is otherwise invalid for any reason, must be started within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice.  After the expiration of such a 30-day period of limitation, no right of action or defense founded upon the invalidity of the approval; or contesting any provision or the issuance of the Certificate of Approval or the issuance of the Securities may be started or asserted nor shall the Certificate of Approval or the issuance of Securities be open to question in any court upon any grounds.

This Notice published pursuant to 10 M.R.S.A. Section 1044(1).

Finance Authority of Maine
5 Community Drive
P.O. Box 949
Augusta, ME 04332-0949
(207) 623-3263

Contact Person: Christopher H. Roney, General Counsel
croney@FAMEmaine.com

AUGUSTA — At their annual meeting and awards celebration held at Lewiston’s Franco Center on September 13, 2024, the Maine Development Foundation (MDF) presented the Finance Authority of Maine’s (FAME’s) College Access and Financial Education (CAFE) Team with their Champion of Education and Workforce Development Award.

MDF’s awards this year recognize individuals, businesses, and community groups for demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication to strengthening the state’s economy and/or their community with efforts to attract and/or retain young people in Maine.

FAME’s CAFE Team provides comprehensive college access and financial education services to students, families, counselors, and advisors through a variety of college access, financial aid, financial education, and education debt management services that support higher education aspirations and attainment in Maine.

Martha Johnston, FAME’s Director of Education, accepted the award on behalf of the team and noted: 

“Each day, and many, many nights, FAME’s College Access Team hits the road literally and virtually to help Maine students and families learn about saving for higher ed, completing and filing the FAFSA, wise borrowing, and navigation of student loan processes, and student loan repayment. We believe in the transformative power of education beyond high school to benefit someone’s personal economic prospects as well as those of the state of Maine, a place we all love and call home.”

Helping students and families prepare to file for financial aid and supporting them through the entire process is a primary focus for FAME’s College Access Team. In FY 24 alone, the team coordinated and participated in:

• 232 financial aid information sessions and workshops for over 6,800 Maine students and families;
• 77 training workshops for over 4,800 counselors and advisors
• 41 workshops attended by 537 individuals to help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and 
• 129 financial wellness events for 6,500 students.

Because it was such a challenging year for FAFSA completion due to problems with the roll-out of the new form by the U.S. Department of Education, FAME’s team worked extra hard through the summer and, as of the end of August, helped to increase the FAFSA completion rate for Maine high school seniors from the Class of 2024 nine full percentage points to over 61%.

Johnston also extended FAME’s appreciation to the many partners who contribute to the success of the team, especially Maine’s school counselors and other trusted professionals who share information about FAME events and available resources, as well as Maine’s institutions of higher education, public and private. 

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) is a quasi-independent state agency whose mission is to enrich business and educational outcomes through relevant, timely financial support to Maine’s people. Our vision is a Maine where all people have access to improved economic outcomes through business growth and education attainment. To learn more about FAME, please visit www.famemaine.com.

The Maine Development Foundation (MDF) is a non-partisan, statewide driver of equitable, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in Maine. MDF connects people, decision-makers, and communities though trusted research, leadership development, and creative partnerships to stimulate new ideas, solve problems, and improve lives. To learn more about MDF, please visit www.mdf.org.

AUGUSTA — At their monthly meeting held on September 19, 2024, the board of directors of the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) approved $1 million in financing for Sawyer Enterprises, LLC d/b/a FISBA North America, a Portland-based precision manufacturer of microphotonics.

Microphotonics is a branch of technology that deals with directing light on a microscopic scale and is used in optical networking. Sawyer Enterprises, LLC uses microphotonics in optical designs that are used in medical and life sciences. 

FAME approved a $1 million FAME Direct Loan to the company. The financing will be used to help the company expand its Maine operations and finance a portion of construction costs at its Portland facility. FAME’s financing is expected to help to create more than eight Maine jobs in the near future and retain an additional ten Maine jobs.

“We are pleased to provide support for Sawyer Enterprises as it expands its operations here in Maine,” stated FAME Board Chair Richard Trafton. “Precision manufacturing is one of Maine’s targeted industries as outlined in Maine’s Economic Development Strategy. We hope this financing will enable the company to grow and innovate utilizing Maine’s STEM workforce.”

Sawyer Enterprises, LLC, formed in 2017 and originally operated as Gray Optics, was acquired in 2023 by FISBA North America LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of FISBA AG. FISBA AG is a Swiss company that develops and manufactures microphotonics for medical and life sciences industries.

The planned renovations to the Portland plant will allow the parent company to move operations and equipment from Tucson, Arizona to Maine.

“We are grateful for FAME’s support, which will enable us to expand our Maine operations and create more good paying jobs,” stated Wallace Latimer, President of FISBA North America. “We appreciate Maine’s talented workforce and look forward to creating more innovative products that are in demand within the medical and life sciences markets.”

FAME’s Direct Loan provides access to operating capital for startups and existing businesses for most business purposes. Loans up to $1 million may be available if substantial public benefit is demonstrated and sufficient funds are available.

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) is a quasi-independent state agency whose mission is to enrich business and educational outcomes through relevant, timely financial support to Maine’s people. Our vision is a Maine where all people have access to improved economic outcomes through business growth and education attainment.