The Maryland Municipal League office will be operating on the following holiday schedule:

• December 24 - office closes at 12 noon
• December 25 - office closed for Christmas holiday
• December 31 - office closes at 12 noon
• January 1 - office closed for New Year's holiday

As always, MML's voice mail system will record phone messages when the office is not open.

We wish all of you a very happy holiday season.

League staff is busy preparing for MML's second annual legislative reception in Annapolis on the first day of the 2010 General Assembly session. The reception is scheduled for Wednesday, January 13, 2010 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Maryland Inn on Church Circle in downtown Annapolis. MML encourages all members to contact their legislators to ensure that they plan to attend.

Information about the 16th annual Maryland Mayors' Association Conference, February 11 & 12, 2010, was e-mailed to the attention of mayors/chief elected officials on Monday, December 14. If you have not seen this information, please contact Linda Burrell or Steve Lopes at MML. This information is also posted on MML's website. Please note the deadline to register for the conference and accommodations at the Loews Annapolis Hotel is January 11. Questions? Contact Linda Burrell at MML.

The schedule for the remaining 2009-2010 Chapter legislative dinners is listed below. MML Chapters will meet with their General Assembly delegations to discuss League and local legislative priorities:

• Cecil-Harford Chapter
  Thursday, January 7
  Rising Sun
• Eastern Shore Association of Municipalities
  Tuesday, January 19
  Kent Island

For actual locations, please contact your Chapter directly. As the League receives more information regarding times and locations, it will be added to the schedule, which will be on the MML website.

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has approximately $3.2 million in EmPOWERing Clean Energy Communities grant funds available to non-profit organizations, community groups, and local governments that serve Maryland's low-to-moderate income households. The EmPOWERing Clean Energy Communities grants will be competitively awarded to energy efficiency projects that generate significant energy savings, with the financial benefits of the energy savings being passed on to Maryland's low-to-moderate income residents.

In order to ensure an equitable distribution of grant funds statewide, each Maryland county (or county equivalent) has been assigned an allocation of grant funds based on the number of low-to-moderate income households residing in the respective county (or county equivalent).

Grant applications are due back to MEA on Monday, January 11, 2010.
The 2010 application can be found at: www.energy.state.md.us/documents/2010_EmPOWER_Application_11_24_09.doc.
Grant overview and instructions can be found at: www.energy.state.md.us/documents/2010LI_EmPOWER_grant_instructions_11_24_09.pdf.
Please review the Grant Overview and Instructions document to see an updated list of eligible applicants.

For additional information about the program, please click on www.energy.state.md.us/documents/EmPOWERCommunityGrants2010FAQ_Ver2.pdf for a list of frequently asked questions about the program.
For more information, please visit: www.energy.state.md.us/incentives/state-local/empowercleanenergycommunities.asp

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) recently completed the administrative adoption process for Maryland Building Performance Standards (MBPS). One of the several model codes adopted as part of the MBPS is the International Residential Code, which includes a requirement that all newly constructed single-family homes and duplexes permitted for construction after January 1, 2011 be equipped with a fire sprinkler system.

While local jurisdictions have the ability to adopt or modify building and related codes adopted by DHCD, many cities and towns adopt these codes and make them part of their permitting and inspection process. In order to help with this effort, the Office of the State Fire Marshall is offering to provide appropriate educational information to assist local governments with implementing the new fire sprinkler requirements. For more information, contact the Office of the State Fire Marshall at 410/653-8980.

Governor Martin O'Malley has been added to the MEDA Winter Conference: 2010 Legislative Outlook for Economic Development, as luncheon keynote speaker on Thursday, January 14, 2010. The conference will be held at the Governor Calvert House on State Circle in Annapolis and begins with continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Lunch is included in the cost. In addition to Governor O'Malley, the conference will include:

• A unique opportunity to see Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Mike Busch center stage with House Minority Leader Tony O'Donnell and Senate Minority Leader Allan Kittleman. This panel of elected officials will appear together to answer questions and forecast the upcoming session.
• Maryland Chamber of Commerce CEO Kathy Snyder, Greater Baltimore Committee President/CEO Don Fry, Greater Washington Board of Trade CEO James Dinegar, and Technology Council of Maryland CEO Renee Winsky highlighting critical issues in the business community and their impact on economic development in Maryland.
• A welcome by newly elected Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen.

For registration and agenda visit www.medamd.com.

The National League of Cities (NLC) informed MML that some municipalities have received an invoice from the "International League of Cities" requesting membership dues. NLC reports that this is a scam. If you receive such an invoice or have questions, please contact Scott Morris at NLC, morris@nlc.org or 202/626-3021.