Webinar Feb. 13: FEMA Floodplain Maps & Ordinance Changes

Join SMPDC on Tuesday, February 13, at 10:00am for an informational webinar with staff from the Maine Floodplain Management Program. FEMA’s new Flood Insurance Rate Maps for York County will become effective as of July 17, 2024. Communities must update their floodplain ordinance by that date to continue participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This webinar will provide an overview, answer questions, and highlight opportunities for incorporating flood resilience measures in your ordinance updates. 

To learn more about the KACTS Safety Action Plan, visit the project website or email KACTSSafetyActionPlan@smpdc.org.

Rhona Deah of Rhona Beauty, Biddeford

Michael Gill of River Junction Brewing Company, Sanford

After a highly successful first round of our Economic Recovery Hubs grant program, the program made 70 awards totaling more than $400,000 to small businesses across our region who opened after January 1, 2020 and experienced pandemic impacts. Participating businesses will receive financial assistance of up to $15,000 per business, as well as technical assistance in bookkeeping, web design, and social media strategies through an array of expert service providers. The program is funded by the Federal American Rescue Plan through the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

Round 2 of the Hub grants will include grants of up to $10,000 per business and will launch on March 1, with the application window open through April 12.

The deadline for Town Meeting communities to be consistent with LD 2003 is July 1, 2024. LD 1706, approved last spring, postponed the original effective date of LD 2003 to the following:

• For municipalities who enact ordinances by the municipal officers without further action or approval by the voters of the municipality, the deadline was January 1, 2024.
• All other municipalities are required to be consistent by July 1, 2024.

If your municipality has any questions or requires assistance with ordinance amendments and adoption, please reach out. 

The Climate Ready Coast – Southern Maine project, which involved the 10 coastal communities from Kittery north to Scarborough and numerous regional, state, and federal partners, culminated at the end of November with the release of the final Southern Maine Regional Coastal Resilience Plan.

The plan serves as a roadmap for scoping priority projects and developing grant applications for coastal adaptation action and outlines needs, opportunities, and possible next steps for advancing local and regional resilience projects.

The State's BIL Webinar Series continues with two upcoming sessions. Attend to learn more about state funding opportunities for infrastructure and planning projects.

• Energy Programs & Building Efficiency. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00pm. Hear about opportunities to improve energy efficiency in buildings and enable the expansion of affordable, clean energy generation and transmission networks. Register here.

• Resilience & Environmental Protection. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00pm. Hear about programs to strengthen the state's preparedness for storm events, flooding, and wildfires; to build resilience of transportation networks, drinking water and wastewater systems; to mitigate contaminants and pollution; and to improve natural capacity of watersheds and ecosystems. Register here.

Mikala Jordan, Land Use and Transportation Planner, has returned to Maine after several years in Utah doing municipal and regional planning. At SMPDC, Mikala supports projects including comprehensive and open space planning, the Joint Land Use Study, and the regional Long Range Transportation Plan.

SMPDC also welcomes Resilience Corps Fellow, Kaya Williams! Before joining Resilience Corps, Kaya worked in the environmental education sector at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Waynflete School. As a Resilience Corps Fellow, she is excited to help implement the Energy Navigators program and support community members to increase their homes' energy efficiency.