Year in Review
May 30, 2024
Helping the region adapt and thrive in a changing world.
Letter from the President and Executive Director
Since emerging from the pandemic, our region has taken advantage of the funding opportunities presented by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The past year has been nothing short of remarkable. GPCOG’s members, partners, and the region at large secured $3 million for broadband that will kick-start the circling of Sebago Lake with new fiber, tens of millions of dollars for transformative transportation projects, like Portland’s Libbytown improvements, Yarmouth’s Beth Condon Trail, Windham’s road and wastewater upgrades, and pedestrian improvements in Biddeford. On the heels of record winter storms, the region has also drawn in funding to boost climate resilience.
The workforce housing shortage has emerged as a major economic and social challenge. In response, the region came together to share successes and tools, and the GPCOG staff team is providing housing technical assistance to almost half the region’s cities and towns. We’ve also developed new software to help municipalities manage short-term rentals.
Exciting times lie ahead as we embark on a new five-year strategic plan. This plan commits to enhancing our value for members, building on traditional services in land use, transportation, and climate planning, cooperative purchasing, and brownfields redevelopment, while adding new (and newish) services in facilitation, communications, trainings, and public engagement.
We’re looking forward to another great year of strengthening our region’s cities and towns and attracting even more funds so the region can grow stronger together.
Jarrod Maxfield, President Kristina Egan, Executive Director
Member Services
Did you know that your municipality has access to the expertise and time of GPCOG’s staff? See below for a list of some of our services. Don’t see what you need? Give us a call and we’ll try to help.
∙ Land-use, village, and comprehensive planning
∙ Housing technical assistance
∙ Transportation data collection and analysis
∙ Climate and sustainability planning
∙ Resilience Fellows
∙ Facilitation
∙ GIS Mapping and Data
∙ Aerial imagery and video
∙ Video production
∙ Public engagement
∙ Short-term rental management
∙ Grants advice
∙ And don’t forget GPCOG’s long-standing cooperative purchasing program which saves money and time for cities and towns
VISION ZERO Our region’s transportation board adopts a regional Vision Zero action plan, providing a strategy for 18 communities to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries and make the region eligible for new federal funds.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
GPCOG helps Standish, Westbrook and Gorham enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership program and submit their first application for funding.
HOUSING TOUR The Metro Regional Coalition tours Phoenix Flats, an affordable housing project in Portland with 45 units reserved for older people and people with disabilities.
Year in Review | May 30, 2024
MAY JUNE JULY
2023
FALMOUTH CLIMATE PLAN
The Falmouth Town Council adopts a resolution supporting the Climate Action Plan. GPCOG collaborated with town staff and a local committee to develop the plan. Falmouth became the third municipality in our region to adopt a climate action plan, following South Portland and Portland’s One Climate Future.
WINDHAM ENERGY PLAN
GPCOG helps the Town of Windham complete an internal assessment of energy costs and energy use in municipal operations, a community-wide greenhouse gas inventory and an action plan for municipal operations to reduce energy costs and improve efficiency.
DRIVE ELECTRIC MAINE
Our Maine Clean Communities program is awarded $100,000 to set up local Drive Electric chapters throughout Maine to share information about electric vehicles and $15,000 to help our municipalities understand where to put and how to fund EV charging stations.
SUBREGIONAL ROUNDTABLE
We convene a gathering at the Gray Public Library to meet with municipal leaders from Gray, North Yarmouth, Pownal, Durham, New Gloucester, and Cumberland County to discuss challenges and opportunities they might share and how they might work together.
AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
$6M TO BUSINESSES
We launch a new statewide grant program with the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development to help small businesses increase domestic sales, awarding $3.1 million to 40 Maine businesses. A second round is now underway with approximately $3.1 million more in funding.
RECEPTION WITH LEGISLATORS
Our region’s legislators and community leaders gather at a reception at Wescustogo Hall and Community Center in North Yarmouth.
NOVEMBER
RURAL AND ISLAND
VISION ZERO We kick off an effort to bring Vision Zero planning to member communities not part of the PACTS transportation region which will expand federal funding opportunities to these GPCOG members.
LAKES REGION ROUNDTABLE
We convene a gathering at Bridgton Town Hall to meet with municipal leaders from Bridgton, Harrison, Casco, Naples, and Cumberland County to discuss challenges and opportunities they might share and how they might work together.
COASTAL RESILIENCE
FUNDING We’re awarded $350,000 federal dollars to address eroding coastal bluffs in Casco Bay.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE TRAINING
We host our first EV safety and training session for 14 technicians to help auto technicians who work in municipalities prepare for the changing technology and leverage new workforce opportunities.
NEW SHELTER
A 179-bed emergency shelter for single asylum seekers opens at 166 Riverside St., freeing up about 120 beds at the city’s 208-bed Homeless Services Center less than a mile away, which provides new capacity for people experiencing homelessness to move out of the encampments. GPCOG’s non-profit arm served as the fiscal agent for this important regional project.
COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION
LEADERS Fourteen people graduate from the Community Transportation Program, which provides training to underrepresented communities to help them get involved in the decisions about transportation funding and operations.
$375K
TO
BUSINESSES
New pandemic relief funding becomes available to small business owners who started a business during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not receive state or federal recovery funding. We distribute $375,000 to 27 applicants and provided technical help to 75 people.
WELCOME & CONGRATS! The region’s elected and municipal staff welcome newly elected leaders at our annual celebration at the Centerboard Yacht Club in South Portland.
LAPTOPS FOR DIGITAL
ACCESS The Quality Housing Coalition and the Greater Portland Council of Governments provide free laptops to 100 individuals and families who have experienced homelessness as part of a joint effort to increase digital equity in Cumberland County.
SAFE STREETS
AWARD We’re awarded $637,000 in federal funding for nine demonstration projects and seven planning studies throughout the region to make our streets safer in our most dangerous locations.
ACCESSIBLE
WEBSITE We launch a new website with an accessibility feature that helps people with visual impairments read and navigate the website.
PORTLAND HARBOR DREDGE PROJECT WINS FUNDING Federal funding is secured, unlocking the balance of state funds, allowing a $25 million dredging project for to move forward. GPCOG created a video to showcase its broad support.
RESILIENCE FELLOWS
Eleven Americorps members begin their nine-month fellowships to work on environmental resilience, climate action planning, and sustainability projects. This year’s host sites include the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland Trails, the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission, and the towns of Chebeague Island, Falmouth, Long Island, Scarborough, and the cities of Portland and South Portland.
DECEMBER JANUARY 2024
RAPID TRANSIT APPROVAL
The PACTS Policy Board approves the route alignment for the region’s first rapid bus to serve Gorham, Westbrook, and Portland. The project will now move into the preliminary design phase. Rapid transit will be fast, frequent and reliable.
FEBRUARY
TRANSIT TOGETHER
The PACTS Policy Board adopts Transit Together, a costneutral plan that recommends transit improvements. Recommendations include: more frequent service, faster and more direct bus routes, and enhanced coordination among the agencies.
COMPLETE STREETS
The PACTS Policy Board adopts a regional Complete Streets Policy, an approach to designing streets that are safe, convenient, and comfortable for all users—pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.
LAKES REGION
ROUNDTABLE
Selectboard members and town managers in the Lakes Region gather at the Casco Community Center to discuss opportunities and challenges facing rural towns and opportunities for collaborative solutions.
RIDE WITH ME
Political leaders and transportation officials get a first-hand look at the transportation barriers experienced by older adults, people with disabilities, people of color and individuals with lower incomes. Officials complete 14 rides on public transportation.
$3M BROADBAND
AWARD The Maine Connectivity Authority awards Sebago Fiber $3.2 million to expand broadband internet in the town of Sebago and parts of four adjacent towns. This is part of a larger GPCOG effort to bring high-speed internet to the Sebago Lake region.
YARMOUTH CLIMATE PLAN
The Yarmouth Town Council adopts a Climate Action Plan that analyzed the town’s vulnerability to climate impacts and greenhouse gas emissions. We collaborated with town staff and the Climate Action Task Force to develop this plan. Yarmouth became the fourth municipality in our region to adopt a climate action plan. GPCOG is currently helping North Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth and Brunswick create climate action plans.
MARCH APRIL
PLANNING FOR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING SUCCESS
Governor Mills signs a bill submitted by the Metro Regional Coalition directing state government to plan for more effective, efficient transitional housing options throughout Maine.
$22M TRANSPORTATION
AWARD Portland wins a $22.4 million federal transportation grant to reconnect the Libbytown neighborhood, which was divided when I-295 was built in the 1960s. The project, a regional priority, will transform Park Avenue and Congress Street into two-way streets, improve sidewalks, add bikeonly lanes, and add a roundabout.
GREAT MAINE NEIGHBORHOODS
We launch the Great Maine Neighborhoods website to promote smart growth strategies and celebrate municipal housing success stories.
REGIONAL HOUSING SUMMIT
About 200 state and municipal leaders met at Ocean Gateway to understand the region’s progress in addressing our region’s housing shortage, hear success stories, and learn about tools to welcome housing in ways that fit the community. Gov. Janet Mills set the stage with opening remarks.
Thank you to our communities! It’s been a great year for bringing new projects and funding to the region.
BRIDGTON GORHAM WINDHAM GRAY NEW GLOUCESTER DURHAM POWNAL FREEPORT NORTH YARMOUTH CUMBERLAND WESTBROOK PORTLAND FALMOUTH SCARBOROUGH SOUTH PORTLAND HARRISON SEBAGO STANDISH NAPLES CASCO ARUNDEL BIDDEFORD SACO RAYMOND
ORCHARD BEACH CAPE ELIZABETH FRYE ISLAND
YARMOUTH OLD
ISLAND LONG ISLAND
CHEBEAGUE
Our Communities GPCOG PACTS GPCOG + PACTS
