Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Thursday that applications are now available for small businesses and municipalities seeking state funding to help rebuild and recover from the severe storms that swept through the state this past winter.
$10 million in funding will be made available through the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for small business and nonprofits. The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be considering applications from municipalities for $25 million worth of funding.
The small business and nonprofit funding will be distributed out of the newly-created Business Recovery and Resilience Fund, whereas the municipalities’ applications will be processed through the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund.
The $35 million allocation for these programs came as part of the $60 million transfer out of the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF) for storm recovery efforts that was included in the recent supplemental budget.
Although there was widespread bipartisan support for investing taxpayers’ dollars in this effort, lawmakers were split along party lines with respect to the most appropriate source for this funding.
While Democrat legislators backed the plan to transfer this money out of the BSF, Republicans advocated in favor of tapping the unappropriated General Fund surplus.
Colloquially known as the Rainy Day Fund, the BSF is statutorily required to be used primarily as a reserve account to offset state expenses in the event of a General Fund revenue shortfall.
The BSF may also be used to to provide assistance to the families of fallen first responders or cover specifically-defined expenses during certain emergency situations.
[RELATED: $60 Million for Storm Relief Initiatives Soon to Be Transferred from Budget Stabilization Fund]
“The severe storms in December and January disrupted businesses during the busy holiday season and created significant hardship for communities across Maine,” said Gov. Mills in her Thursday press release. “These funds will help Maine small businesses and communities rebuild and do so in a way that better prepares us to withstand the next storm. I encourage all eligible Maine businesses and municipalities to consider applying.”
“Many Maine businesses were impacted during the three winter storms,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. “These funds will make a big impact in helping businesses recover from the damaging storms and are an investment in long term sustainability as businesses build resilience to a changing climate.”
“MaineDOT is proud to help expedite the availability of these new resources to the municipal, tribal, and infrastructure districts that have been impacted by recent severe weather events,” said Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. “This funding will not only help rebuild what was damaged, but it will also improve the resiliency of this infrastructure moving forward.”
Businesses and nonprofits may request up to $100,000 to put toward “design, permitting and construction costs for their project.
To be eligible for funding, projects “may include a recovery component for damage sustained” and “must include efforts to increase business resilience to future storms and other climate conditions.”
Granting funding may not be used to cover more than 50 percent of total project costs, as applicants must at least match the amount which they are awarded.
Applications must be submitted by June 25.
Municipalities may submit funding applications for up to $75,000 for “support scoping and design” and as much as $4 million for “direct construction costs or to support matching funds for construction.”
A minimum 5 percent local match will be required for any funds awarded. Applications must be submitted by July 1.
Funds are expected to be available for both of these programs by August 9, ninety days after the Legislature’s adjournment.
Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Press Release
Earlier this month, Mills announced that funding applications were available for working waterfront properties that were damaged a consequence of these same storms.
Funding is to be distributed through the Working Waterfront Resilience Grant Program, which is managed jointly by the MDOT, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF).
[RELATED: Applications Now Available to Working Waterfront Properties for $25 Million in Storm Relief Funding]
Mills explained that funding through this program will be made available “to help rebuild wharves and piers that provide a ‘significant and compelling community benefit’ to Maine’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries.”
Applications must be submitted by 4:30pm on Monday, June 10, and funding is expected to become available in August.
