LD 2003 Municipal Outreach Session

April 10th at 10am

Register here for an in person (or remote) LD 2003 Municipal Outreach Session with the State of Maine - Department of Economic and Community Development Housing Opportunity Program team!  They will be in person at KVCOG to give an LD 2003 "101" presentation and answer any questions you may have. Whether you are just beginning this work or you are knee deep in it...this session will be informative for you and your community. Don't miss out on this informative event!

  IMPORTANT LD 2003 INFORMATION

Although our entire team has been diligently working with our municipalities to bring them into compliance with the LD 2003 ruling, we cover 62 towns in our region and have been unable to get to everyone under the deadline set by the State.  This is a very unusual circumstance we (and our partnering COG’s around the state) find ourselves in, since this ruling required revisions to ordinances/regulations in nearly every town, all with the same deadline.  The State did not take into consideration that many rural municipalities do not have staff to perform this update and would rely on their Regional COG or other Planning Agency.  Thus, creating the backlog. 

As we get closer to the State-imposed deadline for adopting provisions for compliance with LD 2003 (P.L. 2021, ch. 672), we realize that many communities will not have their ordinance updated in time for adoption at their respective town meetings. We are doing our best to get to these updates; unfortunately, the State has not allotted much time between providing ruling and the implementation deadline.

It is imperative to understand there will not be any penalization for those who do not get their ordinances amended in time for town meeting, and thus meet the State deadline.

If your community does not meet the deadline for LD 2003, the following will take place:

1. LD 2003 will supersede the municipal ordinance, but only in aspects that pertain to LD 2003; all other parts of the municipal ordinance will remain as written, viable, and enforceable.
2. In places where LD 2003 supersedes the municipal ordinance, that only means that the municipality cannot further regulate the existing legislation. For example, if the ordinance is not updated before the deadline, that means the municipality cannot require the owner of the property to live in either the Accessory Dwelling Unit or the primary dwelling unit on the property. Please keep in mind this is just an example of an optional regulatory layer the municipality can choose to add into their ordinance. This is nothing more than an example!

An example of what will be mandatory regardless of a timely ordinance update, is the requirement to allow an Accessory Dwelling Unit on any lot where a single-family dwelling unit is the primary structure.

We realize hosting a special town meeting to adopt ordinance revisions is rather pricey. The State currently has a funding available which may defray the cost of this. Funding is through the initial Municipal Payment Program. Information on that funding can be found using the following link:

KVCOG appreciates every opportunity to work with your community and we appreciate your continued support. We strives to provide the most comprehensive services, at reasonable prices and in a timely manner. Please understand that we are doing everything we can to meet the needs of all the communities in our region.

• Developing or updating land use and zoning ordinances or related permitting processes to increase housing opportunities.
• Developing programs to promote construction of accessory dwelling units or dwelling units, including pre-approved designs or educational programming to inform residents about allowed development.
• Assessing infrastructure upgrades.
• Facilitating local or regional housing needs assessments.
• Establishing procedures for collecting housing data including building permit, certificate of occupancy, demolition and rental unit data.
• Developing proposals to coordinate land-use policies or building codes among adjoining municipalities to facilitate consistent regional development standards that streamline housing development.
• Other projects that focus on increasing housing options and opportunities in a municipality or region.

All funded projects must prioritize the above outcomes, but may have additional goals such as supporting climate, transportation, diversity, and broadband initiatives. 

Municipalities may request funding for multiple projects.

All funded municipalities will be required to provide semiannual updates and project deliverables.

A municipality, as defined, is eligible for an award of up to $50,000. The minimum award for a municipality is $10,000. Two municipalities applying jointly are eligible for an award up to $125,000 and three or more municipalities applying together are eligible for an award of up to $175,000.

Grant deadline is March 7, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. 
The full RFA grant package can be found here.

For any questions about this or any other related ordinance/land-use related questions,
please reach out to Jessica Cobb, Community Planner at

• Information about LD 2003 can be found here. 
• Click here to email KVCOG staff with questions about LD 2003. Municipalities may also email KVCOG and request that their community be added to KVCOG’s list of towns to work with in updating and amending relevant ordinances to comply with LD 2003. 
• LD 2003 Guidance Document issued by DECD

KVCOG SET TO HOST SECOND ANNUAL PLANNING DAY
Tuesday, June 25th, 2024

Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) has sent out "save the dates" to members of its region's municipalities to provide education and informative information on three hot topics to be announced!  This will coincide with the KVCOG General Assembly Meeting taking place at the beautifully renovated Solon Hotel.

 Last years Planning Day included: sustainable waste management solutions to create proactive solutions to the pending closure of the Hatch Hill Facility located in Augusta, the implementation of the new housing law, known as LD 2003, and PFAS updates. 

In the first session, KVCOG invited ecomaine, Casella, Apparel Impact, and the Department of Environmental Protection to present on waste management solutions, services they offer to municipalities, and how to provide community support. 

ecomaine's Presentation Slides

Apparel Impact's Presentation Slides

Department of Environmental Protection's Presentation Slides

In the second session, KVCOG invited Natalie Burns, Jensen Baird Attorney, to present on consequences on municipal zoning, home rule, and affordable housing initiatives, statewide housing production goals, and increasing housing opportunities, along with two of the housing coordinators from MDECD to provide insight into the implementation of LD 2003.

Phillip Saucier & Natalie Burn's Presentation Slides

In the third session, KVCOG invited Tracy Kelley, PFAS and Emerging Contaminants Public Service Coordinator, from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to present on Maine's statewide PFAS evaluation/investigation and tools that the DEP has to offer to the public. 

Tracy Kelley's Presentation Slides

It's time to plan your visit to the Kennebec Valley! Thanks to the Kennebec Valley Explorer/Visit Kennebec Valley for producing this amazing video. See more of this content and plan your trip to the Kennebec Valley on their website.

Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1967. KVCOG is a membership organization and is owned and operated for the benefit of its members.  The Council of Governments is enabled by state statue. The office is located in Fairfield, Maine and serves Kennebec, Somerset and western Waldo Counties.

KVCOG provides a coordinated approach for planning and economic development at the local and regional level.  KVCOG has been a leader in economic development, environmental, land use and transportation planning with a wide array of professional talent among staff for the past 50 years.

The Kennebec Valley region is connected by the Kennebec River. It covers 62 municipalities, several unorganized territories and 5,251 square miles with a population of approximately 182,000.  It includes the state capital of Augusta as well as other cities including Waterville, Gardiner and Hallowell and many rural towns. Municipal population ranges from 42 to 18,972.