GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING

The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) had its bi-annual General Assembly Meeting at the Historic Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner on September 25th, 2024.  Those in attendance adopted the slate of KVCOG Board Members and enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by 266 Still Water and were treated to a tour of the renovated Johnson Hall by Michael Miclon, Executive/Artistic Director.  We also presented our latest Annual Report that is found here: https://arcg.is/1rDT0T
Thank you to all who attended! 

SECOND ANNUAL PLANNING DAY & GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING

The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) combined our 2nd Annual Planning Day and General Assembly Meeting on June 25th at the beautifully renovated Solon Hotel Restaurant and Bar.  We are grateful for the time our guest speakers dedicated to provide the attendees with important educational information that will benefit all of the municipalities in our region.  We would also like to thank the Board of Directors, General Assembly Members, and all the other attendees who devote their time for the betterment of their municipality and the entire Kennebec Valley Region.  Below you will find the contact information and presentations for each of the speakers.  

APEX - Presentation
Marissa Henkel, Procurement Counselor- (207) 299-4810-

Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) - Presentation
Andrea Smith, Program- (603) 369-3001-

Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) - Presentation
Heather Dumais, State Hazard Mitigation Officer- (207) 441-9510-

Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) - Presentation 
Tammy Knight, Development Program Manager- (207) 624-7489-

Economic Development Agency (EDA) - Handout
Katherine Trapani, EDA Representative for Maine- (215) 514-6572-

Maine Municipal Association (MMA) - Presentation
Rebecca Graham, Legislative Advocate- (207) 623-8428  
Jen Thompson, Staff Attorney- (207) 623-8428-

Somerset County Emergency Management Agency - Presentation
Mike Smith, Deputy Director-(207) 474-6788-

KVCOG AWARDED $500,000 IN ASSESSMENT FUNDING THROUGH EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

Click here to see the announcement and fact sheet about the award. 

 IMPORTANT LD 2003 INFORMATION 

Although our entire team has been diligently working with our municipalities to bring them into compliance with the LD 2003 ruling, we cover 62 towns in our region and have been unable to get to everyone under the deadline set by the State.  This is a very unusual circumstance we (and our partnering COG’s around the state) find ourselves in, since this ruling required revisions to ordinances/regulations in nearly every town, all with the same deadline.  The State did not take into consideration that many rural municipalities do not have staff to perform this update and would rely on their Regional COG or other Planning Agency.  Thus, creating the backlog. 

As we get closer to the State-imposed deadline for adopting provisions for compliance with LD 2003 (P.L. 2021, ch. 672), we realize that many communities will not have their ordinance updated in time for adoption at their respective town meetings. We are doing our best to get to these updates; unfortunately, the State has not allotted much time between providing ruling and the implementation deadline.

It is imperative to understand there will not be any penalization for those who do not get their ordinances amended in time for town meeting, and thus meet the State deadline.

If your community does not meet the deadline for LD 2003, the following will take place:

1. LD 2003 will supersede the municipal ordinance, but only in aspects that pertain to LD 2003; all other parts of the municipal ordinance will remain as written, viable, and enforceable.
2. In places where LD 2003 supersedes the municipal ordinance, that only means that the municipality cannot further regulate the existing legislation. For example, if the ordinance is not updated before the deadline, that means the municipality cannot require the owner of the property to live in either the Accessory Dwelling Unit or the primary dwelling unit on the property. Please keep in mind this is just an example of an optional regulatory layer the municipality can choose to add into their ordinance. This is nothing more than an example!

An example of what will be mandatory regardless of a timely ordinance update, is the requirement to allow an Accessory Dwelling Unit on any lot where a single-family dwelling unit is the primary structure.

We realize hosting a special town meeting to adopt ordinance revisions is rather pricey. The State currently has a funding available which may defray the cost of this. Funding is through the initial Municipal Payment Program. Information on that funding can be found using the following link:

KVCOG appreciates every opportunity to work with your community and we appreciate your continued support. We strives to provide the most comprehensive services, at reasonable prices and in a timely manner. Please understand that we are doing everything we can to meet the needs of all the communities in our region.

For any questions about this or any other related ordinance/land-use related questions,
please reach out to Jessica Cobb, Community Planner at

• Information about LD 2003 can be found here. 
• Click here to email KVCOG staff with questions about LD 2003. Municipalities may also email KVCOG and request that their community be added to KVCOG’s list of towns to work with in updating and amending relevant ordinances to comply with LD 2003. 
• LD 2003 Guidance Document issued by DECD

It's time to plan your visit to the Kennebec Valley! Thanks to the Kennebec Valley Explorer/Visit Kennebec Valley for producing this amazing video. See more of this content and plan your trip to the Kennebec Valley on their website.

Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1967. KVCOG is a membership organization and is owned and operated for the benefit of its members.  The Council of Governments is enabled by state statue. The office is located in Fairfield, Maine and serves Kennebec, Somerset and western Waldo Counties.

KVCOG provides a coordinated approach for planning and economic development at the local and regional level.  KVCOG has been a leader in economic development, environmental, land use and transportation planning with a wide array of professional talent among staff for the past 50 years.

The Kennebec Valley region is connected by the Kennebec River. It covers 62 municipalities, several unorganized territories and 5,251 square miles with a population of approximately 182,000.  It includes the state capital of Augusta as well as other cities including Waterville, Gardiner and Hallowell and many rural towns. Municipal population ranges from 42 to 18,972.