City of Biddeford ~ MERC Public Hearing Speech

July 3, 2012

Good Evening.  My name is Craig Pendleton and I am the Executive Director of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce. 

First, let me begin by stating that Maine Energy has been a loyal and supportive member of the Chamber for a number of years.  They were good corporate citizens when it came time to contribute to our educational workshops and annual fundraising events.  We greatly appreciate their support over time.  Thank you from the current Board and Boards past.

Tonight, I am here to support the agreement between The City of Biddeford and Casella.  It is time to turn a troubled page and focus on a new and more exciting future.  The Chamber hates to see any business close.  The loss of jobs, the short term loss of tax revenue and the impact on the local economy must be recognized and legitimized.  We certainly understand the impact and we are steadfast in our support of relocating MERC employees into equally good jobs as soon as possible.

For us, this time the game changed.  The negotiations have been civil, open, and both sides seem to be listening to each other.  Both sides seem to have clear goals, clarity about their future, and this purchase and sale agreement gets them well on the road to achievement. We want to thank the City and Casella for including us whenever it was appropriate and for making sure we received the most current information possible so we could share it with our members and the public.

We believe that gaining access to 6.5 acres of land in the Mill District will open up an interest in new development.  Whether it is education, housing or manufacturing; retail, wholesale or the service sector, we have the opportunity to make it happen.  We must be optimists.  We must believe there can be something better for Biddeford and Saco.  The time is now for us to make tough decisions so that our children and our grandchildren can live, work and enjoy themselves in these great cities just like we did.  We can do this- I am positive we have the fortitude to make our cities great. The Chamber is ready and able to assist in any way feasible to encourage and recruit economic development in this area.

And finally, I think it is appropriate to recognize the leaders of the past who endured difficult negotiations and failed attempts to get us to where we are today.  Without their fortitude and even their failings, we would not have reached this point we have come to tonight.  And to the current leaders and those who have spoken before me and are about to speak after me, we must always bring our best thoughts and ideas forward.  Democracy is not about like minds coming together and always agreeing with one another-it is the ability to bring civility, openness, tolerance and diverse ideas to our deliberations.  We must always find within us – “the will to succeed and the grace to compromise”.*Dee Hock

Good luck and thank you for the opportunity to speak.  

Craig A. Pendleton

Executive Director