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Commission approves consultant contract to design TIP scholarship program
Summary
Penobscot County commissioners approved a contract to hire a consultant through the Northern Workforce Development Board to draft a tax-increment-finance (TIF)‑funded scholarship program, with an initial $10,000 fee and up to $5,000 more for outreach work.
The Penobscot County Commissioners voted to contract with the Northern Workforce Development Board to develop a TIP (tax increment finance) scholarship program after an informational presentation on Nov. 18, 2025.
The commissioners authorized staff to enter a consulting agreement, with the county chair describing the proposal as “an initial $10,000 statement to cover 120 hour roughly duration of the project with the possibility of an additional $5,000 for outreach” (speaker identified in the transcript as the chair). The consulting scope presented to the commission included drafting standard operating procedures, application requirements, an outreach plan and a publication/archiving process for awards.
The presenter for the TIP committee said the program could be ready in draft form before the end of the school year and outlined a tentative timeline and a modest budget, saying the work could be done at roughly one day a week between now and May and that the basic budget could stay under the estimates provided. The presentation stressed flexibility in application design, noting other counties use different approaches (for example, a county that sets aside about $50,000 a year to award one or more students).
Commissioners discussed program focus and eligibility. One commissioner clarified the scholarship would be targeted at students from the county’s unorganized territories and prioritized fields that benefit local emergency services (EMS, fire and ambulance). Commissioners also raised the possibility of structuring awards so recipients who take county‑needed positions could receive loan forgiveness or other incentives.
The board moved and seconded a motion to enter a contract with the Northern Workforce Development Board to prepare the scholarship program. The motion carried by voice vote; ayes were recorded in the transcript though individual roll‑call tallies were not provided.
The county also reviewed related TIF application changes (see separate item on TIF application revisions) and agreed staff would return with a final scope and contract documents for formal execution. The presenter said he would coordinate with the county’s designated TIF coordinator to roll out the project.
Next steps: staff will finalize the contract scope and return to the commission for execution; the presenter estimated draft program materials could be produced before the next school year.
