Dear all,
We hope you have a great Memorial Day Weekend. We wanted to pass along some news that just couldn’t wait for our June newsletter!
LD 2003 UPDATES
We are approaching the implementation date of LD 2003. For those unaware, municipalities will be required under State law to permit additional dwelling units and accessory dwelling units in areas that permit single-family dwellings as of July 1, 2023. We know that many of you have been working hard to prepare your communities to reach this deadline. There are two important pieces of information we want to share with you:
1. On June 5, 2023 starting at 5:00pm, MCOG and LCRPC will be holding another workshop at the LCRPC office in Wiscasset. This workshop will also be held via Zoom. This workshop will have guest speakers Ben Averill and Hilary Gove from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to provide their updates on grants, rulemaking, and provide your communities a chance to ask important questions. Please provide an email to Max Johnstone (mjohnstone@midcoastcog.com) to RSVP to the event so we can be sure to have enough space and provide you a Zoom link when it is available.
2. The State Legislature is currently considering LD 1706. This legislation would grant municipalities in Maine a brief extension so there is more time to put the rules of LD 2003 in place. It has gone through committee, and seems to be gaining traction. If the legislation passes, a municipality that approves changes through a Town Council will be given a 6-month delay (LD 2003 goes into effect on January 1, 2024); whereas a community that requires a Town Meeting would be given a 12-month delay (LD 2003 goes into effect on July 1, 2024).
Just a reminder that we are available to assist communities with implementing LD 2003 into their local land use ordinance. Contact Max Johnstone at mjohnstone@midcoastcog.com or call 207-209-4129 with any questions.
Community Resilience Partnership Funding
Is your community enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership? If so, the spring 2023 community action grants are now accepting applications through July 7, 2023 (see Request for Proposals). GOPIF is holding an informational webinar on the grant opportunity on June 1st at 3pm (join the Zoom meeting here).
Not enrolled yet? MCOG can help! Please contact Meg Rasmussen, Community Sustainability Planner at mrasmussen@midcoastcog.com
New Business Recovery Grant Applications due June 1st
As part of Midcoast Council of Government’s Hub of Excellence initiative, we are administering a new economic development program: the New Business Recovery Grants Program. The funding for this program comes from Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development to help the roughly 14,000 businesses started or acquired in the State since the start of 2020. MCOG will be managing this program for the Midcoast region which includes all or part of Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, Cumberland, and Waldo counties. Eligible entities are businesses or nonprofits that have a location in the MCOG region, started or were acquired on or after January 1, 2020, have fewer than 250 employees, and are in good standing with the State of Maine.
The New Business Recovery Grants program will offer one-time stabilization grants of up to $50,000 to new businesses that experienced serious pandemic-related disruptions or were not able to take advantage of previous pandemic-related recovery aid. Apply on our website at www.midcoastcog.com.
2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Grant Program
The EPA published a Notice of Funding for schools that are interested in replacing their diesel buses with cleaner vehicles. The amount of funding depends on if the school is considered a “Disadvantaged community” that meets at least one of the priorities listed in the NOFO. If you qualify as “Disadvantaged”, you can potentially receive up to $395,000 for a Zero Emission bus and charging infrastructure to purchase. Funding may also go towards purchasing propane or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses; however, that will be a lower grant award. If you do not qualify as “Disadvantaged”, you could potentially receive $250,000 for a Zero Emission bus and charging infrastructure. This must also be for a public entity that provides bus service to a public school district for at least 3 days per week on average, which includes the school districts.
Based on our preliminary research, the following schools are considered eligible for requesting up to $395,000 for an electric bus:
Bristol Consolidated School
Great Salt Bay Community School
Isle au Haut Rural School
Jefferson Village School
Monhegan Island School
Nobleboro Central School
Unity Elementary School
Walker Memorial School
Prescott Memorial School
Vinalhaven School
South Bristol Elementary School
Matinicus Elementary School
Palermo Consolidated School
Somerville Elementary School
Regardless of whether you are on the list above, this is a no-match grant. It is important to keep in mind that this will be a competitive grant process throughout the nation. To stay competitive, applicants should consider providing a local contribution and additional ways to use the bus/ charging equipment. Award recipients will be expected to scrap a 2010 or older non-diesel internal combustion engine bus that the new bus will replace. If your school district does not have a 2010 or older non-diesel bus, you may either scrap, sell, or donate a 2011 or newer bus.
Applications are due by August 22, 2023 and must be submitted through Grants.gov.
Contact Max Johnstone at mjohnstone@midcoastcog.com or call 207-209-4129 with any questions.
Thank you for reading! Know someone who may be interested in receiving this newsletter? Pass along this form for them to fill out and they will be included in the next newsletter.
All the best,
The MCOG Team
Mathew Eddy, Brian Dancause, Meg Rasmussen, Max Johnstone, Adi Philson, Michael Martone, and Charlotte Nutt
165 Main Street, Suite F
PO Box 62
Damariscotta, ME 04543
207-209-4129