NMDC receives assistance
CARIBOU — As announced by Smart Growth America officials on Nov. 18, the Northern Maine Development Commission is among the 15 organizations selected to receive free Smart Growth technical assistance. Smart Growth America (SGA) officials described that the 15 selected entities will receive a one- or two-day training session with a Smart Growth expert on the issue of their choice.
The issue-of-choice selected by NMDC officials is obtaining the tools to help municipalities identify how their specific town or city fits into the region as a whole, as explained by NMDC Senior Planner Jay Kamm.
Once NMDC and SGA officials have discussed the chosen topic, an estimated one-day workshop will be provided to the municipalities so that town and city officials can learn about available data and regional issues that can be considered when developing planning activities.
The technical assistance was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program.
“Smart Growth America is committed to providing the tools and training to help community leaders keep their cities and town livable, sustainable and vital places,” said Roger Millar, director of Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute. “We are excited about working with each of these communities to develop local solutions that support thriving places now and for generations to come.”
There were nearly 90 applications for technical assistance received from 34 states and the District of Columbia that Smart Growth American received; according to SGA officials, NMDC’s application was among the 15 selected to receive technical assistance because it exhibited the strongest interests in and need for smart growth tools and clearly demonstrated a commitment from local business, community and political leaders to implement local smart growth solutions.
NMDC was one of only 43 grantees in 2010 to be selected for a Department of Housing and Urban development Sustainable Planning Grant. NMDC was awarded $300,000 and is currently using those funds to develop a regional comprehensive sustainability plan for Aroostook and Washington counties. The award announced by SGA will help NMDC further develop that plan with the technical assistance that is offered.
