Commissioner Heather Johnson, Commissioner Amanda Beal, Brian Whitney from Maine Technology Institute, Carlos Mello from the Finance Authority of Maine, DECD staff, and DACF staff are hosting a virtual input session at 10a.m. on Thursday, September 23. The session is a chance for DECD to receive feedback directly from business owners, organizations, community members and stakeholders in the forest products industry.  

Efficiency Maine is pleased to announce a new guidebook, "How to Select and Install a Home Electric Vehicle Charger," which provides useful information and tips for current and prospective EV owners. The guide also answers common questions about home EV charging.

MEMA Mass Care will be offering a 2-Hour Sheltering Course for Local and County Emergency Management Agencies in preparation for Fall and Winter Storms.  Sessions will be delivered virtually utilizing the Microsoft TEAMS Platform.   The course is intended to provide staff and volunteers with best practices to set-up and manage a Congregate Shelter.  Due to the uncertainty of the longevity of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency the course will focus on basic concepts of Congregate Sheltering in a COVID-19 environment.  Course Participants will be emailed a Certification of Attendance following the delivery of all sessions.

The Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission is investigating municipal-level economic and social impacts of sea level rise and storm surge hazards and develop locally-relevant adaptation and resiliency planning strategies that address local and regional vulnerabilities. The project is using local sea level rise projections, storm surge modeling, municipal geospatial data, and population and demographic information to complete a GIS-based socio-economic vulnerability assessment of coastal flood hazards.

EMDC is offering a free and virtual grants conference on Wednesday, September 15, 9am - 4pm.

The Maine Municipal Association Annual Business Meeting is being held in conjunction with the MMA Annual Convention and will take place on Thursday, September 30, 2021, at 1:45 p.m at the Augusta Civic Center, 2nd Floor.

The Maine Municipal Association is pleased to formally announce the results of its annual election for the 2022 MMA Executive Committee.  James Bennett, city manager in Biddeford, soon will ascend to the position of president of the Maine Municipal Association’s Executive Committee.  Elaine Aloes, Chair of Board of Selectpersons in Solon, was elected to be MMA’s new vice president. Bennett will take over his duties of MMA president effective January 1, 2022, leading the 12-member committee that steers MMA on operational and budgeting priorities. Chebeague Island Administrator Justin Poirier and Frenchville Town Manager David Cyr were elected to join the committee for three-year terms; and Melissa Doane was elected to a second consecutive three-year term on the committee. 

The Maine Municipal Association is pleased to announce that Maine’s 477 non-entitlement communities will soon be able to access their share of the Federal revenue allocated under the American Rescue Plan Act. In anticipation of the distribution, municipal officials from across the State have been meeting with other local, county, and State leaders to explore opportunities for investing this level of unprecedented federal funding.

It is anticipated that by the week’s end (08/27/21) the state will  launch its online portal enabling Maine’s 479 “non-entitlement” communities to request their federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) revenues.  Please be on the lookout for an email from Maine.ARPAsupport@hornellp.com, which will describe how communities can request those unprecedented funds. Check back here for updates once the online portal goes live.

The Maine Municipal Association is pleased to offer an opportunity for your municipality to nominate one of your own for the Association’s most prestigious award, the MMA Ethel N. Kelley Memorial Award. The award recognizes distinguished service at the municipal government and community level, and will be presented at MMA’s Annual Convention on Wednesday, September 30, 2021 at the MMA Awards Luncheon!  The deadline for nominations is fast approaching - Friday, August 20, by 4:30 p.m.