The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is accepting applications for the Small Community Grant Program that helps with malfunctioning septic systems that directly or indirectly discharge into water bodies, or cause public health problems. The first step of the application process must be completed by April 19, 2019.

The Knox County Emergency Management Agency in Rockland will host a workshop on Thursday, May 23 called, “Introduction to Continuity of Government Planning for Rural Jurisdictions.” The eight-hour course will help local officials and emergency responders develop continuity plans in the event of a disaster or other emergency. Seating is limited; pre-registration is required. The workshop is free and food will be provided.

Nominations are being accepted for three seats on the Maine Municipal Association’s 12-member Executive Committee, which steers the organization on policy and budgetary priorities. The Vice President position is also open to municipal officials who have served at least 12 consecutive months on the MMA Executive Committee during the past five years. The Nominating Committee will interview candidates for the Vice President position and selected candidates for the Executive Committee positions during its meeting in May. Elected municipal officers and chief appointed officials (town and city managers, administrators) qualify for Executive Committee openings. The deadline to apply is May 6.

The state Office of the Maine Treasurer on Wednesday published a spreadsheet, as it does annually, showing projected state/municipal revenue sharing distributions for each municipality. The Maine Municipal Association is warning members to view the numbers with caution. The Treasurer’s numbers reflect what is in current Maine statutes (pushing revenue sharing back up to 5 percent of state sales and income tax collections) but not what is proposed in Gov. Janet Mills’ FY 2020 – FY 2021 budget, which would distribute 2.5 percent in the first year of the budget and 3 percent in the second year. Until the state budget is adopted, it is unknown how much revenue will be distributed to municipalities.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry operates the Boating Facilities Fund, a grant program that helps municipalities and other entities acquire, develop or enhance boat launching facilities. The grant period is now open. Pre-applications should be submitted and a pre-app site inspection must be done by April 17, in order to be eligible. Proposals are due by July 24.  A 25 percent local match – monetary or in-kind – is required.

The Maine Municipal Association strongly encourages members to attend, and testify at, a hearing of the Legislature’s Appropriations and Taxations Committees starting at 10 a.m. on March 20 in the Statehouse in Augusta. This is a key opportunity for municipal leaders to weigh in on Gov. Janet Mills’ proposed FY 2020-21 state budget, which increases municipal revenue sharing from the 2018-19 level but falls well short of fully restoring revenue sharing to 5 percent, as current statute provides. MMA is providing links to important background information about the hearing and about revenue sharing with this announcement.

The Maine Bureau of Veterans Services has asked MMA to assist with a statewide initiative to register female veterans from Maine, past or present, with the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. For more information about the Women's Memorial, visit www.womensmemorial.org.

Our State & Federal Relations staff recently produced the 2019 Federal Issues Paper, an insightful look at how Congressional and federal agency actions affect Maine towns and cities. Pay special attention to in-depth articles on federal pre-emption, which threatens Maine’s heritage of home rule, and how U.S. Clean Water Act mandates are being shunted to municipalities.

Winthrop Attorney Amanda Meader led a great workshop in Lewiston this week about what municipalities can and cannot do regarding the use and regulation of aerial drones, which are growing in commercial and hobbyist popularity. Maine Municipal Association expects to hold this workshop once a year, as legal details continue to change at the federal level. MMA was asked to post Amanda’s PowerPoint presentation, which we are doing.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is preparing to issue a request for proposals for a new round of Stream Crossing Grant applications in April 2019, with an estimated $5 million to be available. If your municipality wishes to be added to the DEP’s “interested parties” list, to receive grant notifications, the agency is happy to oblige.