The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced the next round of Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) discretionary grant funding. The PROTECT Discretionary program provides funding to strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, extreme weather, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure. There are four general categories of grant awards from the PROTECT program. There is a $100,000 minimum for planning grants. There is a $500,000 minimum for construction grants. Last round, planning awards ranged from $142,000 - $5.3 million and $750,000 - $60 million for construction. At least 25% of the funding must be used for projects in rural areas, at least 2% of the funding must go to Tribal area projects, and no more than 25% of total funding may be used for Intercity Rail projects. 

Eligible Facilities: Planning and resiliency grants may be awarded to support the following facilities:

The obligation deadline for municipalities receiving SLFRF funding is December 31, 2024.  Funds not obligated by the deadline will not be available to benefit your community and will need to be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

If your town is struggling to expend SLFRF funds or with the compliance process, we encourage you to contact the Department of Budget and Management’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP). Given the impending December 31 deadline, MTAP has moved its Office Hours to every Tuesday, now through December 17, to increase the number of opportunities to discuss the obligation deadline. Please see below for the Office Hours meeting link and call in number. You can use the same meeting link each Tuesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Region has announced the availability of $40 million in subgrants for communities through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

Announced by EPA in December 2023, this program includes 11 Grantmakers, such as the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), designated to operate in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Region 3), which includes Maryland. This initiative was established under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program, collaborating with the Technical Assistance Centers for Environmental Justice Thriving Communities (TCTAC), which is part of the federal government's Investing in America Agenda. Applicants in the Mid-Atlantic territory can now seek subgrants ranging from $150,000 to $350,000 for various environmental projects with one- or two-year terms.

The Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) is seeking your feedback to better understand your municipality’s needs and current progress through the ARPA SLFRF and Federal Funds survey. This 5–10-minute survey will gather data on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) obligation progress ahead of the December 31, 2024, obligation deadline and municipal interest in federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) at the local government level.

Only seven days are left to join a record number 84 municipalities and their officials at this year's Excellence in Leadership Fall Conference. The Fall Conference is known to draw our most engaged members and this year's line up will a deliver dynamic 40+ sessions and workshops revolved around relevant issues to help Maryland's municipalities serve their more than two million residents.

Details

The Maryland 250 Commission is offering $500 mini-grants to municipalities on a rolling basis. This is a great opportunity to help host meetings and events in your communities associated with civic engagement - which many of you all are already doing.

"The MD Two Fifty Commission is offering $500 grants to fund the launch of short-term (generally not more than 3-months) free educational programs offered by counties and municipalities for residents to learn how their local government works, get to know their local elected and staff officials, and learn about opportunities for citizen engagement."

These grants are accepted on a rolling deadline and will be reviewed starting this week. No applications have been received from Prince George's County, so please consider applying.

More information here: Grants & Applications | MD Two Fifty (maryland.gov).

Join the Maryland Department of Education and the Maryland Municipal League for a Lunch & Learn webinar on October 17, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM via Zoom. Discover the benefits of the Outdoor, Nature-Based Child Care License Pilot Program, which enhances children’s health, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights into key policy decisions and early childhood initiatives—register now! 

Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has proposed revisions to Chapter 2 of the Stormwater Design Manual (Design Manual), the stormwater management regulations. Changes to Chapters 1, 3, 5, and the appendices will also need to be made. The proposed changes as a whole are designed to simplify the stormwater management design process, remove outdated and conflicting material that is currently in the Design Manual, and combine into one the two chapters (Chapters 3 and 5) that describe stormwater management practices. More information on this process can be found here.

On September 16, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced three new funding opportunities, totaling approximately $117 million, to improve recycling infrastructure and consumer education and outreach on wasted food prevention and composting. Two are Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grants for communities and for Tribes and intertribal consortia - focused on improving solid waste management infrastructure. The third is for the Recycling Outreach and Education (REO) grant program and is focused on wasted food prevention and composting.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Funding Opportunities

This year's jam-packed Excellence in Leadership Fall Conference includes five (5) workshops designated as Academy for Excellence in Local Governance elective classes.  To see which classes qualify for elective credit, visit the updated preliminary conference schedule on the Maryland Municipal League website.

Academy Electives include:

The 2024 Maryland Clean Energy Summit will take place on October 7 - 8 at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. 

• Experts have been assembled
• Breakout sessions are scheduled
• Funding and financing resources have been identified
• Procurement and project design assistance is accessible

Community leaders concerned about rising energy costs and reducing carbon emissions won’t want to miss this conference. Hear from presenters and meet with vendors who will help identify the right solutions for your community from idea to implementation.

Explore and search through MML's Hall of Fame Inductees, now featured on the MML website! Browse through a rich history spanning from 1997 to 2024, celebrating the remarkable contributions of municipal officials

We honor and celebrate over 150 elected officials who honored their community through municipal service. Thank you!

Do you have a wall mural or street art from your city or town that you want to display? A sculpture in your city or town that you think deserves more recognition? Consider submitting a photo of your city or town's public art to be showcased at the Excellence in Leadership MML Fall Conference! 

Submission Guidelines:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found recurring Clean Air Act compliance issues at Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills leading to the significant release of methane, a climate super-pollutant, and other air pollutants. More than 100 EPA inspections over the past three years reveal that many MSW landfill operators are not complying with applicable regulatory requirements, including gas collection and control systems (GCCS) requirements, surface emissions monitoring (SEM) procedures, and maintaining cover surface integrity. 

As a result, EPA is issuing two enforcement alerts on MSW landfills at the same time:

Sustainable Maryland is excited to announce the inaugural year of funding for the Sustainable Maryland Action Grants for incorporated municipalities, furthering a commitment to enhance livability for all Marylanders by supporting a wide range of community-scale sustainability efforts. Funding for this grant program was made possible by the State of Maryland when it created the Sustainable Maryland Program fund in 2022. This fund sets aside a portion of the state’s annual budget specifically to support Maryland’s municipal sustainability efforts through the Sustainable Maryland program. By offering $100,000 to municipalities that are registered and certified with Sustainable Maryland, these grants seek to bridge the gap between local budget and resource capacity and state funding.

For more information, visit the Sustainable Maryland SM Action Grants webpage.

Plan to join the National League of Cities (NLC) in Tampa Bay for City Summit and NLC’s 100th anniversary celebration November 13-16, 2024. Be part of the most dynamic conference for municipal staff and officials. Connect with local leaders from across the country, policy experts, and industry professionals to gain knowledge and expand your network.

Packed with the latest trends and valuable connections, the Centennial City Summit is an epic celebration of strengthening cities, towns, and villages from 1924 to 2024. 

Preliminary Schedule Announced!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program has an estimated $7.5 billion in available funding, including $6.5 billion for WIFIA and $1 billion for the State Water Infrastructure Financing Innovation Act (SWIFIA), aimed at supporting around $15 billion in water infrastructure projects.

The WIFIA program not only supports public health, environmental benefits, and local economies by creating over 60,000 jobs, but it also offers flexible financing options, including the ability to defer loan repayments for up to five years and customize payment schedules over a 35-year term. Examples of successful WIFIA-funded projects include California's Orange County Water District's Groundwater Replenishment System Expansion, which allowed the district to lower its interest rate, saving them $75 million in financing costs. Another example is Wichita's new Northwest Water Treatment Facility project, which was able to start 7 years earlier than originally planned due to WIFIA funding. These projects and other developments highlight the program's impact on enhancing water reliability and resilience.

Today’s young people are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the next 250 years — and it’s important their voices are heard as we commemorate this historic milestone.

America’s Field Trip is a contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of America’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.

Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?”

America250 America's Field Trip round 2 launched September 16, 2024. Earlier this year in round 1, of 150 national winners, 9 were Maryland students. Maryland winners celebrated at a recognition ceremony at the Maryland State Fair.