Limington hears plan for state resilience grant; workshop set to prioritize projects

Limington’s Select Board on Jan. 22 heard a presentation about enrolling the town in Maine’s Community Resilience Partnership and the steps to pursue up to $75,000 in state grant funds for local mitigation and adaptation projects.

Jim Kelly of the York County Soil and Water Conservation District, acting as a service provider to the town, told the board the program supports projects ranging from energy-efficiency upgrades to stormwater and emergency-management improvements. "The grant itself is up to $75,000," Kelly said, adding that most projects that fit the program list require no local match and that funds can be split among multiple eligible actions.

The program requires a short enrollment process. Kelly said Limington has completed the required self-evaluation and is holding the community workshop that evening to collect public input. After the town compiles community feedback the Select Board must adopt a municipal resolution naming the target projects before the formal application can be submitted, he said.

Why it matters: The Community Resilience Partnership is intended to help small towns finance projects that reduce climate and natural-hazard risks and improve municipal resilience. For Limington, officials and residents raised practical priorities—improving heating/cooling capacity at the Oldtown Hall warming center, replacing aging filters and pumps at the Limington Academy Well Association, upgrading building envelopes and lighting, and exploring small solar installations on town property.

During a wide-ranging Q&A, Kelly clarified logistics and limits. He said money awarded is generally distributed quickly after approval and that if a proposed project is not covered by the program’s action list, the town would likely need to provide a match (Kelly estimated roughly a 10% match for Limington based on population). He also said towns that enroll and complete the program’s steps are typically eligible to apply for another round of funding after about two years.

Residents offered suggestions that could align with the program, including installing public EV chargers, creating community garden plots, upgrading the town’s meeting-room audio system so remote viewers can hear proceedings, and prioritizing energy-efficiency retrofits on municipal buildings. Kelly agreed to distribute a larger-print copy of the program’s list of roughly 95 action items and to return for follow-up work; he said an anticipated application window is in May and urged the town to compile and prioritize project ideas by the spring timeframe.

What’s next: Kelly will return for a March 7 follow-up workshop to help the town refine a list of candidate projects; the board and staff will gather additional public input and determine whether any municipal votes or warrant articles are required prior to application.