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Lobster/Shellfish Impact
Mitigation Fund
Goals:
1. Compensation for gear and other losses from ship passage,
unloading and construction
2. Independent decision-making on claims
3. Prompt compensation
4. Compensation to fishermen, harvesters in designated
Harpswell waters (see below)
5. Efficient use of Town revenues
6. Discouragement of fraudulent claims
Responsibility:
Joint Town-Venture with Venture
or its independent designee responsible for claims decisions
Operation:
1. Claims submitted to Town as official document.
2. Claims relayed by Town to
Venture or its designee (not the Town) in 5 business days or less with any
comment Town wishes to submit.
3. Venture or its designee
decides on claims within fixed period and makes appropriate payment of
claims.
4. Venture annually submits
report on claims paid and is reimbursed by Town up to a total of $1
million.
5. Town publishes annual
report, listing claims.
Advantages:
To fishermen/ harvesters
- Claims
settled by entity independent of the Town
- Claims
settled on fixed schedule; no delay by Town
- Claims paid to
fishermen/harvesters working in designated Harpswell waters regardless of
where catch is landed or residence
- Fraud reduced by use of
official government filing
To Town
- Opportunity to provide local
information to Venture
- Opportunity to retain funds
not needed to meet claims if total annual claims paid are less than $1
million
- Fraud reduction
To Venture
- Exercises responsibility for
claims caused by its/related operations
- Receives cost compensation
for expected, reasonable claims costs
- Receives information from
Town to be used as it or its designee sees fit
- Receives fraud protection
from Town
Harpswell waters = Waters
within the boundaries of the Town of
Harpswell,
as established by law, plus waters in Broad Sound above Bell “BS”
including Cumberland waters
October 15, 2003
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