About a handful of state planning and community resilience programs will be reorganized under a new, standalone office in the Maine executive branch to better serve municipalities.
The Legislature approved the idea for the Office of Community Affairs earlier this year. Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday that Samantha Horn, a former science director for the Nature Conservancy of Maine and a former official with the Land Use Planning Commission, will serve as the office's new leader.
At least seven existing programs will be moved under the new office, including Maine's floodplain program, building code enforcement, the state's coastal and municipal planning assistance programs and the Community Resilience Partnership.
The new office will help towns with limited resources apply for climate resilience grants and address local housing shortages, said Kate Dufour, director of advocacy and communications for the Maine Municipal Association.
"Here's one-stop shopping for municipalities when it comes to land use and housing and a couple of other issues," Dufour said. "It's, from our perspective, a very good first step in the right direction."
Matthew Eddy, executive director of the Midcoast Council of Governments, said the new office may be similar to the former state planning office, which was eliminated 12 years ago.
"Having that one single agency that had that ability to make those connections was incredibly important, and it was lost when it disappeared," he said.
Mills said the reorganization will be included in her 2025 biennial budget proposal. Staff would be transferred next summer.
Maine Public’s Climate Desk is made possible by Androscoggin bank, with additional support from Evergreen Home Performance, Bigelow Laboratory, & Lee Auto Malls.
