The Community Resilience Partnership is a program from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF), helping Maine communities reduce emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change. The Partnership provides both grant funding and direct support to municipal and tribal governments for climate mitigation and adaptation projects.

Towns enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership receive technical assistance, help with coordinating projects, and assistance applying for a myriad of state, federal, and philanthropic grants for resiliency projects. This series will cover a variety of topics to benefit communities enrolled and enrolling in the Partnership, including specific guidance and funding opportunities for sea level rise, electrification, efficiencies, renewable energy, planning, storm water management, green infrastructure, transportation, and more. This series will highlight the successes and challenges of town-specific projects and will provide a wide range of resources and tools to help enrolled and enrolling towns to build stronger communities.

Community Resilience Partnership Program Fact Sheet

Community Resilience Partnership Enrollment Guide 

List of Community Actions

Community Resilience Self-Evaluation

Sample Municipal Resolution

Grainne Shaw
Community & Resiliency Planner 
(207) 453-4258, Ext 211
gshaw@kvcog.org

Past Series

 These learning opportunities are designed for community members and leaders of municipalities already enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership, those currently enrolling, as well as those interested in enrolling.

Municipal EV Development

Tuesday, April 11, 2023:

With over $19 million in EV charging infrastructure investment over the next 5 years, what should municipalities be paying attention to? From installing municipal charging stations to electrifying fleets, charging station ordinances, and EV funding opportunities we’ll cover the bases.

Landfill Solar

Thursday, March 9th, 2023: Slide Deck

This session was aimed at informing decision-makers, department heads, and facility operators on opportunities to lower municipal operating costs through the beneficial reuse of landfills for solar installations. We examined aspects of developing solar energy on landfills through case studies in central and western Maine. Solar developers and regulatory officials joined to address the environmental, engineering, and related regulatory concerns of these projects.

Guest Speakers:

• Scott Vlaun, Executive Director, Center for an Ecology-Based Economy (CEBE)
• Danny Piper, Owner, Sun Dog Solar
• Matt Young, Environmental Specialist, Department of Environmental Protection

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Efficiency Maine Energy Upgrades

February 14th, 2023: Slide Deck

Links shared in the chat:

1. Community Resilience Partnership Webpage
2. List of GOPIF’s Fundable 72 Priority Actions
3. CRP Community Action Grant Awards Summary Fall 2022

Efficiency Maine currently has generous rebate programs on lighting, HVAC, refrigeration upgrades, and electric vehicles for municipalities and tribal governments. This, coupled with a free virtual project consult, can be a winning combination to help towns achieve significantly reduce capital investment costs and energy savings. Learn more from Efficiency Maine staff as well as tour some recent municipal projects that took advantage of these programs.

Guest Speakers:

• Claire McGlinchey, Climate Resiliency Program Manager, Center for an Ecology-Based Economy

• Zach Gosselin, Environmental and Resiliency Planner, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments

• Rick Meinking, Senior Program Manager, Efficiency Maine

• Gabe McPhail, Region 1 Coordinator, Community Resilience Partnership

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Building Stronger Communities - $125,000 Community Action Grants for Regional Projects

January 31st, 2023: Slide Deck

More Resources Here

Service providers, A Climate To Thrive (ACTT) and Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC), joined us for a discussion on how they each brought together neighboring communities to write climate action plans. While the benefits of multi-town collaboration can be stymied by any number of barriers, successful groups shared how they overcame those obstacles when they focused on the “dollars and sense” of working with the Community Resilience Partnership. Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG), working with two groups converging around land conservation, community solar projects, and public works cooperatives, shared some lessons and challenges to working alongside communities with a variety of priorities and perspectives.

Speakers:

• Johannah Blackman, Executive Director, A Climate to Thrive
• Karina Graeter, Sustainability Coordinator, Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission
• Yvette Meunier, Regional Resiliency Coordinator, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments
• Robyn Stanicki, Community Resilience Team Coordinator, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments

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Building Stronger Communities - Funding Projects into the Future

January 10th, 2023: Slide Deck

View Recording Here

Towns enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership are provided technical assistance to apply for a myriad of state, federal, and philanthropic grants for projects targeted at making communities more resilience to the impacts of climate change. In this session, we heard from communities enrolled in the partnership as to how they were able to leverage multiple funding sources for a project. Examples included Skowhegan’s downtown plan as it related to active transportation, land use, land conservation, and Greenwood’s historic building preservation and energy upgrade project. This session also prepared towns in applying for the upcoming Community Action Grants to open in March.

Speakers:

• Zach Gosselin, Environmental and Resiliency Planner, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments
• Yvette Meunier, Regional Resiliency Coordinator, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments
• Robyn Stanicki, Community Resilience Team Coordinator, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments
• Matt Drost, Regional Transportation Planner, Maine Department of Transportation

More Resources:

Community Resilience Partnership Webpage

List of Regional Coordinators

List of GO PIF's Fundable 72 Priority Actions

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Building Stronger Communities - Climate Change: From Understanding to Action

December 29th, 2022: Slide Deck

Here

The Climate Science behind Maine Won’t Wait – the state’s four-year climate action plan. Discover how communities enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership are using tools and strategies in the plan to lessen their climate impact and achieve cost savings and efficiencies while reducing the emissions that drive climate change.

Speakers:

• Community Resilience Partnership Regional Coordinators
• Karina Graeter, Region 1 Regional Coordinator and Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission Sustainability Coordinator
• Dr. Cassaundra Rose, Senior Science Analyst and Climate Council Coordinator with the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future

More Resources:

Maine Won't Wait - Maine's Four Year Climate Action Plan

Maine Climate Council

M2C EMPOWER Program - Resources for collaborating with businesses and other municipalities to develop EV charging

South Portland's Ordinance - Encouragement for EV charging infrastructure 

The Kennector and KITT in Kennebunk - Examples of partnerships with local transit agencies/entities to expand capacity

Biddeford Saco Transit Oriented Development Plan  -  Encouragement of transit-oriented & compact, mixed use development

Incentives for Clean Energy Businesses -  Virtual Sanford Renewable Energy Corridor

Solar Projects:

Topsham SolarSmart Bronze

MDI Community Solar Farm

Solarize Campaigns

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Building Stronger Communities - Introducing the Community Resilience Partnership 

December 13th, 2022: View Recording Here

The Community Resilience Partnership (CRP) is a new program through the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future aimed at helping communities become more resilient to the challenges ahead. Learn about the steps to enroll your community, the no-match grant opportunities, and the ongoing technical assistance available to help towns fund their priority projects through this program. Hear about how some of the 70+ communities are using this program to modernize buildings, fund transportation projects, promote natural climate solutions, invest in climate-ready infrastructure, and build more resilient communities. This session was aimed at town managers, select board members, municipal committees, interested residents, and organizations interested in building a more resilient community.

Speakers: 

• Claire McGlinchey, Climate Resiliency Program Manager, Center for an Ecology-Based Economy 
• Zach Gosselin, Environmental and Resiliency Planner, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments 
• Yvette Meunier, Regional Resiliency Coordinator, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments 
• Robyn Stanicki, Community Resilience Team Coordinator, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments 

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Culverts: Not Such a Drain After All

April 29, 2021: In our daily lives, we are usually unaware of each culvert we traverse as we commute from place to place, but where any road crosses any stream or river there is a culvert or a bridge. An undersized, or poorly designed culvert can quickly wash away a section of road, creating a significant safety hazard and adding substantial costs to a municipalities public works budget. Following best practices to identify and address potential flooding problems well before they occur makes both fiscal and safety sense. To help navigate these and related issues, Will Harper, KVCOG Resilience Coordinator, teamed up with Ernie Hilton, Selectman from Starks, Sarah Haggerty from Maine Audubon’s Stream Smart team, and KVCOG's own Environmental Planner, Gabe Gauvin. Listen in as they discussed how a community can build better, safer, infrastructure while improving stream and river habitats.

4.29.2021_Culverts_Presentation.pdf

More Resources:

• Stream Smart Maine: Provides design and consultation resources for stream crossings that improve habitat and last longer. Stream Smart also offers regular trainings and workshops for hands-on experience.
• Maine Stream Habitat Viewer: Allows a user to explore a statewide database of stream crossing barriers and valuable habitats.
• USGS Stream Stats: Allows a user to delineate a watershed basin and generate a report of flow characteristics for that basin.
• USGS National Map Viewer: Important features include the National Hydrography Dataset, Watershed Boundary Dataset, NLCD Land Cover, 3DEP Elevation, and NAIP Plus Imagery.
• USFWS National Wetlands Inventory: Maps current and historic wetlands and wetland habitats across the nation.
• FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer: Includes access flooding information on the NFHL online viewer (available for most of Maine) as well as the FEMA Map Service Center.
• Maine Geolibrary: For GIS and other technical users, offers access to a number of public datasets including those related to streams and stream crossings.

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Help My Business Now! Building Resilience with Funding, Tools, and Resources

February 2, 2021: KVCOG and our partners provided an overview of our new CARES Act Revolving Loan business funding opportunity including guidance on how these funds can best be utilized. This session also featured William Card, Economic Development Specialist with the SBA, who informed new and existing small businesses about SBA’s free and confidential Technical Assistance programs, as well as information about SBA’s own loan programs.

More Resources:

• SBA, Maine: Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. The SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.

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

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

02/18/2022: From salt to salons, central Maine agency takes broad view to providing local solutions

02/09/2022: As municipal road salt supplies run low, local agency works to secure shipments

02/05/2022: Central Maine communities consider different options for sharing code enforcement duties

05/26/2021: Virtual meetings to focus on Winslow's future

04/05/2021: U.S. Sens. Collins, King announce federal investment for EMDC

03/12/2021: Kennebec Valley Governments group nets $25k grant

02/18/2021: Fayette officials unveil draft of town's updated comprehensive plan

01/29/2021: KVCOG hosts Comprehensive and Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Session with GrowSmart Maine highlighting community programs in smart growth  

01/29/2021: Readfield-area officials receive $22,000 grant to fund food composting program

01/22/2021: Kennebec Valley Council of Governments names new executive director

01/19/2021: KVCOG announces $670,000 in EDA Revolving Loan Funds now available to lend

01/11/2021: Winslow Town Council hears update on ambulance service, food waste program

01/08/2021: Winthrop officials to explore matching grant for improvements at Norcross Point

01/04/2021: Gardiner to start downtown master planning process 

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Community Engagement

 The Resiliency Series

• One of the best ways for KVCOG and our Community Resiliency Coordinators to engage with our region during the pandemic and share relevant information is for us to host ongoing virtual webinars, presentations, and panel-discussions to address important topics in resiliency in Central Maine. Series topics include: small business financing, budgeting for infrastructure, flooding preparedness and planning, technologies for remote work, Maine’s mills and their reuse, and more. View past sessions.

Regional Diversity Initiative 

• Robyn will participate in the Kennebec Regional Diversity Initiative which meets regularly to support diversity and address discrimination. 

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Program Support and Development 

New CARES Act Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

• Another component of the CARES Act was funding for a new Revolving Loan Fund to help businesses and start-ups in acquiring capital. Robyn provides technical assistance and outreach for that program and help applicants navigate this and related programs. 

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Plan

• Robyn is working to integrate the content of our research on resilience into the 5-year CEDS Plan being written by KVCOG for implementation in 2022. This project integrates both research and community engagement components as well as incorporating many of our Resilience Series events. 

Comprehensive Planning Services

• Robyn is also working alongside KVCOG’s Planning Director, Joel Greenwood to incorporate resilience and sustainability into the diverse components of municipal comprehensive plans.

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Innovation and Strategy

Land Bank Legislation

• A group of planners, economic development specialists, and policy experts from municipal, regional, and State offices joined together to draft legislation – L.R. 1528 – aimed at establishing a statewide redevelopment office to administer a state land bank. This project is intended to empower local governments in redeveloping derelict or abandoned properties. This bill is being considered by the current legislative session and if successful will help to establish a cooperative relationship between a State office and regional and local governments to redevelop and revitalize properties across the region, and the State.

Central Maine Food Hub Pilot

• Through a number of conversations related to food insecurity, food waste diversion and industrial composting, and food production, a need was identified for a coordinated approach around one regional entity. Following the lead of similar established projects in Maine and across the country, Robyn is hoping to identify key supporters and facilitate the creation of a Central Maine Food Hub that will add capacity to ongoing food resiliency programs. 

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Partnerships

Resilience Practitioner Cohort

• Establishes and maintains relationships between our colleagues across Maine engaging in similar and complementary work in planning, economic development, and community health. These connections make our work more effective by breaking down the barriers that separate regions and professions.

Affordable Housing Task Force

• The Affordable Housing Task Force was convened in 2020 to address the short- and long-term implications of the affordable housing shortage in the Greater Augusta area. Robyn has joined in an effort to engage with issues related to housing and to represent KVCOG. Our hope is to build on inter- and intra-regional projects attempting to address housing insecurity with an emphasis on our rural communities with the goal of pursuing a regional housing assessment for the KVCOG service area.

GrowSmart Maine

• GrowSmart Maine works to provide responsible, informed choices for communities to grow and change. KVCOG has collaborated with GrowSmart Maine on a number of projects, and we hope to include additional programming related to sustainable housing development and a regional housing assessment in the near future.

Waterville Area Soup Kitchen (WASK)

• KVCOG was approached by the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen, a newly-formed group committed to rebuilding soup kitchen operations in Waterville, with the goal of helping them obtain the services they need by facilitating conversations and assisting with the fundamental research needed for a start-up nonprofit. In this and other similar relationships, Robyn’s role is to collaborate and facilitate partnerships.

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Contact Us

Robyn Stanicki
Community Resilience Coordinator

(207) 453-4258 ext.211

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