The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) has announced the federal investment of $400,000, over two years, to support KVCOG’s work to help the communities within its region respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds, distributed by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), have been made available through the recent CARES Act, and will advance economic development in the communities which have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to KVCOG, in a news release.

“This investment comes at a critical time for Maine’s economy,” said KVCOG Executive Director Laura Cyr, in the release. “This federal funding will help the communities of Maine’s Kennebec Valley region to come together and recover from the enormous impact of COVID-19 in this region.”

Specifically, this grant will allow KVCOG to hire two specialists whose sole focus over the next two years will be to update the region’s economic development plans and to fortify programs aimed at assisting communities within the region to respond to and recover from the coronavirus pandemic. KVCOG will also develop resources which will allow the region it serves to better respond to future economic emergencies.

“The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on every community across our state and nation, undercutting the budgets for community services and economic development at an incredibly difficult time,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “Maine people are resilient by nature, and we welcome this funding to help the small businesses, individuals, and families in the Kennebec Valley region receive the necessary resources to better weather this pandemic.”

The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments is one of seven Economic Development District in Maine, as designated by the EDA.

About the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG)

KVCOG is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1967 as membership organization and is owned and operated for the benefit of its members. The Council is enabled by state statue.

KVCOG provides a coordinated approach for planning and economic development at the local and regional level and has been a leader in economic development, environmental, land use and transportation planning with a wide array of professional talent among staff for the past 50 years.

With its office located in Fairfield, KVCOG serves 62 municipalities, several unorganized territories, 5,251 square miles, and a population of ~182,000 throughout the Kennebec Valley region of Maine within Kennebec, Somerset and western Waldo counties. The region is connected by the Kennebec River and includes the state capital of Augusta as well as the cities of Waterville, Gardiner, and Hallowell, as well as many rural towns. (Municipal population ranges from 42 to 18,972).

Learn more on our website www.kvcog.org, or follow us on Facebook (@KennebecValleyCOG) and Instagram (@kennebecvalleycouncilofgov).