LEWISTON — Rep. Mike Michaud is asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reevaluate a decision that denied funding to a Fort Kent organization deemed logistically inconvenient by a contractor.

Michaud, D-2nd District, today sent a letter to the agency asking it to reconsider the decision involving Community Voices, an organization that fights youth substance abuse in Aroostook County. NHTSA was looking for two communities to pilot a program pairing complementary underage drinking prevention strategies.

Michaud asked that the agency not award the grants until each proposal has been reevaluated based on relevant criteria.

Community Voices sought feedback on its proposal from PerformTech of Alexandria, Va., the contractor handling the grant process. In an email, the contractor said Community Voices was among the top four applicants but that its remote location made it inconvenient for travel by staff and consultants. The contractor also said because the area is unlike most other American communities of similar size, it could be difficult to replicate the procedures used in Aroostook County.

“It looks like this funding was denied just because visiting Fort Kent might require extra time in a car. This is ridiculous and it’s no reason to deny a worthy project federal funding,” Michaud said in a statement.

Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe met with NHTSA Administrator David Strickland about the matter last week.

The agency has said it is reviewing the contract and the actions of the contractor. Strickland has said in a statement that communities of all sizes should have equal opportunity to access highway safety resources.


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