Local Climate Action Planning (CAP)
Biddeford Public Workshop #1  - Buildings and Energy

Biddeford's CAP Task Force Team, in partnership with Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC) and Fourth Economy, will be hosting its first Climate Action Planning (CAP) Cohort Public Workshop on February 9th, 2023 from 6 PM to 8 PM. The workshop will be activity based rather than presentation focused.

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You're Invited

You don't have to be a climate action expert to offer valuable input through this workshop!  The Task Force wants to learn from and work with residents that represent the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our community members. Community engagement will ensure the strategies within the plan are feasible, impactful, and beneficial to the community's shared vision for the future.

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Who should attend? All are welcome, including but not limited to:

• Renters

• Homeowners

• Neighborhood Associations

• Senior Living Facility Representatives 

• Landlords

• Businesses Owners

• Utility Representatives

• Community organizations working on climate-related work

• Taskforce members

• Municipal staff

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Purpose

The purpose of this workshop is to have community members brainstorm new strategies and gather feedback on potential strategies related to Buildings and Energy.

 

The strategies identified during the workshop will be considered along with additional analysis and strategies developed by the Project Team, which includes the Community Task Force, SMPDC, and ICLEI.

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Check out the Agenda!

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Directions

Coming soon! The workshop will be help in-person, and the location will be announced soon.

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Future Public Workshops

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This event is the first of four public workshops that will be held throughout the CAP process. Future public workshops will cover Transportation, Natural Systems, and Putting It All Together. These are tentatively scheduled for March, May, and July 2023, respectively.

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About the Climate Action Planning Process

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Southern Maine’s Climate Action Planning Cohort is led by SMPDC in partnership with Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and Fourth Economy Consulting. The CAP Cohort is a year-long, community-driven process that will generate local climate action plans developed through a robust planning and public engagement process with each of the four participating southern Maine communities –  the Towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Kittery, and the City of Biddeford. 

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SMPDC will lead this cohort of communities through a collaborative process, leveraging collective resources and utilizing a regional approach. Work to identify local climate impacts, vulnerabilities, goals, and strategies will be tailored to individual communities, and the resources created through this project will support the climate action strategies and implementation plans of other Maine communities.

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The outcomes of the Local CAP Cohort will be:

• A unique local climate action plan for each participating community, that includes identified priority issues and potential strategies for local and regional climate action.

• Increased public awareness and understanding of climate change issues and actions  

• Increased public participation in municipal decisions and planning for climate change and community resilience.

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A Community Driven Approach - How to Get Involved

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Each participating community has a Task Force of dedicated volunteers, subject matter experts, and municipal staff that are tasked with overseeing the climate action planning process and inviting public engagement, in order to ensure all residents and community leaders are invited to contribute to the climate action planning process. Business owners, non-profit leaders, educators, as well as residents at-large should attend the public workshops to learn more about how to get involved.