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Planning Board amends support letter for Tanbark CDBG application, votes 5-0
Summary
The Saco Planning Board voted unanimously to amend a draft Community Development Block Grant support letter for Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, clarifying the board’s endorsement is based on staff representations about permitting and readiness.
The Saco Planning Board on Jan. 7 voted 5-0 to amend a draft Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support letter for Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, changing the final sentence to make the board's assurance conditional on staff representations.
The amended sentence now reads, "Based upon representations of staff, the presented project will meet local required permitting requirements and regulations," language the board said relieves the chair from guaranteeing all permitting is complete. "I wouldn't want Matt signing a letter to something that suggesting that everything is fine, but it it may not be," Planning Board member Jim Moelier said during the meeting.
The change came after Emily Cole Pressard, the city's planner, briefed the board on the application and the State's template language. "This is like a CDBG requirement. ... It's really asking the board that they're all set with, like, this grant moving forward and that they don't see any real red flags about permitting," Pressard said. Tracy Desjardins, Saco's director of economic development, told the board Tanbark — located at 34 Spring Hill Road — seeks roughly $100,000 to buy equipment and working capital and plans to hire about 20 new employees.
Why it matters: CDBG awards often require local endorsements that confirm projects appear feasible and in compliance with local rules; the board wanted to avoid a blanket statement that could be interpreted as formal permitting approval. Pressard said staff had inspected the facility and did not see "real red flags" regarding local requirements.
Board action: Planning Board member Jim Moelier moved to change the draft letter's final sentence to the staff‑conditioned wording; the motion was seconded and approved 5-0. The board then directed staff to finalize the amended support letter to the city administrator for transmittal.
Context and next steps: Desjardins said the CDBG award would target low- and moderate-income (LMI) hires; as a CDBG-funded project the grant includes income eligibility and reporting requirements for the new jobs. Board members asked for minor edits to clarify tense and to make clear the board's statement was an opinion based on staff review, not a final local permitting determination. Pressard and Desjardins said staff will incorporate the amended wording into the letter and forward it to the city for the grant application.
Ending: With the amendment adopted, the board approved moving the letter forward, and staff will finalize the draft and submit it with the city's CDBG application materials.
