MCOG Monthly Newsletter

The second application cycle for New Business Recovery Grants under MCOG’s Economic Recovery Implementation Hub is open. To be eligible, a small business or nonprofit must have started or been acquired on or after January 1, 2020, and have experienced an adverse economic impact related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The maximum grant award is $25,000, and applications must be submitted by May 31. To apply, businesses/nonprofits should use the application portal on MCOG’s website. 

Since 2015, Region 10 Technical High School has been working with a group of local businesspeople, educators, and policy analysts to develop plans for a state-of-the-art, career-focused, full-time technical high school in Brunswick.

Unlike many other states, Maine currently offers no four-year, full-time technical high school options for students—despite the state’s growing need for well-trained workers with technical skills. The needs of many students and the region’s economic interests can best be met at a school designed in partnership with industry to be a pipeline—a pathway—for qualified young adults prepared to take advantage of specific opportunities to thrive in Maine’s workforce.

The proposed new high school would provide rigorous core academics integrated with career and technical studies and offer deep training in high-demand jobs in the region and state. At this time, we envision that the school curriculum would emphasize pathways for transportation, health sciences, and manufacturing—while retaining all of Region 10's current program offerings.

Such a school would serve the interests of the students and the economy in equal measure. For its stakeholders and partners, the new school will serve as an essential component of a regional economic development strategy designed to support the most critical ingredient for economic growth—qualified human capital.

For more information on this project, contact Shawn Chabot, Superintendent and Director, Region 10 Technical High School, at chabot@r10tech.org.

MCOG, in partnership with LCRPC and MidCoast Public Transportation, is one of 52 applicants selected to receive technical assistance through US Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program (TCP). TCP facilitates the planning and development of transportation and community revitalization activities and provides tools to ensure that under-resourced communities can access the historic funding provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).  

Midcoast lacks an overarching transportation plan or investment strategy, while pressures of traffic congestion, the housing crisis, climate change, and an aging population worsen. While our transportation modes are diverse (ferry, road, air, and rail), our region suffers from transportation insecurity due to the lack of connecting options, limited routes, and inaccessibility of the region to anyone without access to a personal vehicle.  

Our project will focus on the maintenance and further development of an integrated, resilient multimodal transportation system designed for users of all ages, incomes, and abilities that precipitates economic growth and transit-oriented development in the Midcoast area. We have proposed the final product to be a multimodal connectivity plan and rural public transit pilot. Undertaking this project will allow our organizations and the communities we support to identify and develop shovel-ready projects, while providing a regional context through which to leverage federal funding opportunities.  

Stay tuned for updates! 

MCOG is beginning to consider how intentional practices of diversity, equity, inclusivity, and justice (DEIJ) are being conducted at a regional level, town level, and within MCOG’s own offices. Stay tuned for updates on new internal policies, a working group to guide planning assistance at the regional and town level, and a workshop for town planners and managers.

Workshop Info:

On July 11 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, MCOG will have the pleasure to host Delilah Poupore from Heart of Biddeford to discuss Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) in communities and what municipal partners can do to help promote it. We strongly encourage municipal leaders or volunteers associated with the town office to attend. The workshop will be held at the Community Action Parter building at 34 Wing Farm Parkway in Bath. A zoom option will be available for those unable to attend in person; however, we strongly recommend attending in person if you have the ability to do so. Please contact Max Johnstone at mjohnstone@midcoastcog.com if you would like a zoom link when it is available. Click here to register 

Is your community in the early phases of developing a Comprehensive Plan? Is your community active, or wants to be proactive, regarding environmental protection? Do you just want to learn about a great resource while having your lunch? Beginning with Habitat (BwH) will be hosting a lunch & learn webinar where interested communities will learn about what BwH is and how communities can effectively share and use their comprehensive maps. This will be held on May 22 from noon to 1:00pm. To register for the webinar, click here. For further questions, contact Amy Dowley at amy.dowley@maine.gov. 

Cooperative Purchasing will be entering the final months as we continue to get return bids for the estimates that communities provided these past few months. The following link will show you the various products and services that are part of this program: Cooperative Purchasing | GPCOG, ME. We will be continuing to send out the vendor bid responses in May and June. If you have not been receiving the vendor bids, or want to double-check that you are on the email list, please contact Max Johnstone at mjohnstone@midcoastcog.com 

A major lifeline to working waterfront facilities throughout our region is on its way, LD 2225 has recently passed in the state legislature as part of the governor’s budget! This will mean that roughly 50 million in funding will flow from the state house towards repairs of wharves and other waterfront infrastructure damaged in January storms. In a historical change, this time some of this funding will be earmarked to repair privately owned facilities in addition to those that are publicly owned. For more details on the bill, see the specific language here - https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?paper=HP1426&snum=131&PID=1456