State planning office outlines MAP grants, deadlines and eligibility in webinar

The Pennsylvania Office of Community Planning summarized the Municipal Assistance Program, known as MAP, in a state webinar, describing what projects are eligible, how the 50/50 match works and the application steps for local governments.

The briefing matters because MAP provides planning and implementation funding to municipalities across Pennsylvania: from fiscal 2019–2023 the office issued 108 grants totaling about $4,000,000, affecting 221 municipalities in 48 counties, the presenters said. The program supports multi-municipal projects, comprehensive plans, emergency services studies and implementation items such as zoning and official maps.

Katie Wicker, a local government planning specialist in the West, and Rachel Resnick, a local government planning specialist for the Central region, described two broad MAP categories: shared services and community planning. Shared-services grants require two or more participating municipalities and an intergovernmental agreement and can fund startup or expansion costs for regionalization or shared positions; the program does not fund replacement of existing vehicles or current staff positions. Resnick said, "If you are ever unsure if your project is eligible for MAP, please reach out to your regional planner and we can help direct you to the correct…